Baba Aye's

There is no death in recent times that has left me as disconcerted as the tragic killing of Aremson by a hit-and-run driver on 12 October. I have tried to write, and each time got disoriented by the weight of emotions, some of which I still grapple with naming. This is not simply because of memories from over three and a half decades of friendship. I recalled our collaboration, the heated debates that continued late into the night before mobile phones, and the lengthy WhatsApp calls of recent times. My mind went to the cell we shared at Ikoyi prison during the June 12 struggle and the bed in a dingy hotel somewhere between Ojuelegba and Yaba as we put mechanisms in motion for the burning of tires to effect an NLC/TUC general strike that was called off at the last moment. I reflected on how my respect for Aremson soared when I visited him at home in August. Seeing the impact of a series of strokes on his health, and how he remained unbowed and unrepentant, I saluted him as one of the mo...

The 9th National Administrative Committee (NAC) of the United Action for Democracy (UAD) mourns the passing of our comrade, mentor, and revolutionary leader, Comrade Abiodun “Aremson” Aremu: a tireless fighter for justice, people’s power, and human liberation. Comrade Aremson’s life was wholly devoted to the struggle for a free, democratic, and socially just Nigeria. His sudden death in a hit-and-run incident on Sunday, 12 October 2025, in Ota, Ogun State, has left a painful void in the ranks of the labour, pro-democracy, and civil society movements, both within and beyond Nigeria. As a former Convener of the UAD, Comrade Aremu embodied the values of courage, clarity, and commitment. From the days of the Campaign for Democracy (CD) through the struggles of the Joint Action Front (JAF) and the Labour–Civil Society Coalition (LASCO), he stood firm on the side of the oppressed, never compromising on principles. Through his leadership in the Amílcar Cabral Ideological School (ACIS-M)...

It has now been 15 years since we lost Teslim “Samore” Oyekanmi. He was a fearless revolutionary, versatile unionist, brilliant activist, and unrepentant Mayist who lived life to the fullest. But alas, sickness took him away from us in his prime. And this was barely two years after we lost his partner, Zainab, a revolutionary Mayist in her own right. Teslim was Secretary General of the LASU Students Union towards the end of the last century. Zainab would later serve as Vice President and then Ag. President of the same union in the following session. I met Tes in the run-up to the election, where he emerged as SG of LASUSU. While I’d started full-time work in the trade union movement, I kept in close contact with the student movement, spending many an evening on campuses like LASU. He was recruited into the May 31st Movement (M31M, the precursor of today’s SWL) when he was a LASU union leader. And he remained a lifelong member of the movement. He was quite critical of a number o...

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o bade this world goodbye on 28 May at the age of 87. Fare thee well, great griot of our pathways. Say us well to the ancestors whom you now join to be clothed with the earth from which we all must return. He was definitely one of the greatest writers of in the world. He gave us – Africa and the world at large – a profound depth of beauty, thought and inspiration with his work. He was also, in my view, the most representative of the spirit of Africa, of the numerous colossal figures of the word, that have been Africa’s contribution to the world and its literature. At childhood, his life was interwoven with that of the Kenyan people fighting against British colonialism, with all the consequences of this history. He  was named James Ngugi at birth. This was name he used to publish his first novel Weep Not Child . But he threw away the slave master's name, renaming himself in line with the ways of his forbears. He did not just criticise the past of colo...

Eddie Madunagu is undoubtedly one of the most profound and insightful socialist thinkers and publicists in Nigeria’s history. His books such as The Tragedy of the Nigerian Socialist Movement and Problems of Socialism: The Nigerian Challenge¸ which were published some four decades back present us with some of the clearest analysis of the situation of the radical and revolutionary Left in that period, probably much more sharply than any other book. Over the following decades, Comrade Eddie continued with analyses of the left and the society which we want to change. His column every Thursday was the sole reason why I bought The Guardian for most of the 1990s. It must be stressed, as many have done and will continue to do, that Eddie has not only been a theorist. He has, along with his soul mate Bene, contributed to some of the most sustained efforts at building left organisations and united fronts. They have also contributed significantly to critical thinking for new generations of...