A leading Nigerian lawyer, Yusuf Olaolu Ali, SAN, has said that Nigeria’s political parties are currently owned by the rich, powerful, and mighty.
He made this statement at the launch of a book titled “J.S. Olawoyin: A Century of Legacy and Leadership” at the Offa Descendants Union’s Secretariat, Offa.
Yusuf Ali lamented that principled political stances have declined in the nation’s politics, especially since the First Republic.
The legal expert said: “The matter is made worse today because, unlike in the First Republic when political parties were mass movements owned by all party members, today all the political parties are owned by the powerful, the rich, and the mighty.”
He added: “Olawoyin’s political stance showed that one can be a politician with high moral values. The late political activist refused all lucrative political offers to remain true to his convictions.”
Barrister Yusuf Ali said Olawoyin used politics to benefit his constituency, Offa, and the Northern region in general, while remaining a formidable opposition figure and holding the government of the day accountable