Remi Sonaiya was born on March 2nd, 1955. She began
her schooling in 1961 at St. Luke’s Demonstration
School, Ibadan, from where she proceeded to St. Anne’s
School, also in Ibadan, for her secondary education.
She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in French from the
University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in
1977, graduating with the best result in her faculty, did
her Youth Service at the Nigerian Military School, Zaria,
got married, and proceeded to Cornell University, USA,
from where she obtained an M. A. in French Literature.
Back in Nigeria, she enrolled for another Masters degree
program, this time in Linguistics, which she obtained in
1984, and immediately returned to Cornell University for
her PhD studies in Linguistics. She graduated from
Cornell in 1988 and returned to continue lecturing in the
Department of Foreign Languages of the Obafemi
Awolowo University which she had joined in 1982 as an
Assistant Lecturer. She became a professor of French
Language and Applied Linguistics in 2001.
After the just concluded presidential elections of which
she was an aspirant, she came third in the race won by
Muhammadu Buhari. She released her post-election
statement. Read it below.
My fellow Nigerians,
Roughly four months ago, I signified my intention to
represent KOWA Party at the presidential elections. I was
involved in a primary with three other aspirants and
emerged our Party’s nominee. The period between then
and now has been challenging, revealing and deeply
rewarding. Understandably, given our political culture,
we were met from some quarters with cynicism from the
very beginning, ours being a relatively new party with
little funding and no known heavyweights. At the same
time, many Nigerians saw in our audacious candidacy the
possibility of real change and a clear departure from what
we have known so far as a nation.
I am proud of what we have achieved over this very short
period. KOWA is now known not only across Nigeria but
also by many people in the international space. We
performed far above what we were expected to in every
state of the Federation, and enquiries have been pouring
in from many interested and inspired individuals across
the nation, asking how they can join our party and help
spread its ideals. (Kindly visit www.kowaparty.net .)
This experience has made me, now more than ever,
convinced of the need for a value re-orientation in our
country. As a society we appear to celebrate people who
represent the ills we complain about, or are prepared to
look the other way when they offer us temporary
palliatives. This has to change, and I hope to work with
my Party to continue to spread this message without
which our hope of building a just and prosperous nation
will forever remain a mirage.
I am also convinced that there is a quiet majority out
there who see the truth in our message that only a leader
with strong values and an independent mind can give us
the change we need. As such, I intend to spend the
coming years working with other members to grow KOWA
Party and establish it as a solid and attractive platform
of excellence for politicians of character and integrity.
Finally, many may not be aware, but the core support for
my campaign was provided by volunteers. Ordinary
people like me, who shared our message broadly in spite
of disbelief and even derision from some supporters of
some larger parties. To these ordinary people who saw
themselves in my candidacy and made sacrifices to
actualize our dream, I am greatly indebted and hereby
express my profound gratitude.
This is not the end. This is only the beginning. The power
to change Nigeria for good lies in all of us. While we
congratulate the incoming government on their victory at
the polls, we also remind them that something has
changed significantly about the Nigerian people at this
election, and that governments will from now on be held
to account. God bless you all, and God bless the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.
Professor Oluremi SONAIYA
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