Aremson Was A Revolutionary Combatant By All Standards — Aregbesola
The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has described the late Comrade Fidelista Abiodun Aremu, popularly known as Aremson, as a revolutionary combatant who lived and died for the cause of justice, workers’ rights and human liberation.
In a tribute on Friday, Aregbesola said the late activist’s life embodied total commitment to the people’s cause and unflinching loyalty to socialist ideals.
The former governor of Osun recalled meeting Aremu in the 1970s at the Comrade Ola Oni School of Marxism, where they both developed a strong ideological grounding and co-founded the Socialist Party of Workers, Farmers and Youth (SPWFY) in 1978, which later became the Socialist Workers Party (SWP).
Aregbesola noted that after the collapse of the earlier movements, they jointly formed the Socialist Revolutionary Vanguard (SRV), from which he was assigned to engage with progressive political groups.
“Comrade Fidelista Abiodun Aremu (Aremson) — a revolutionary of epic stature. Always ready for engagement — intellectual, ideological, or physical — he lived and breathed the struggle. I first met him in the 1970s at the Comrade Ola Oni School of Marxism.
“Together with our leaders and comrades, we founded the Socialist Party of Workers, Farmers and Youth (SPWFY) in 1978, that was later changed to the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). After the collapse of that republic, we formed the Socialist Revolutionary Vanguard (SRV). It was from the SRV that I was commissioned to engage with left-of-centre political formations — SDP, AD, ACN, and others.
“Aremson played a decisive role in shaping my approach to that engagement, particularly my choice to openly work with these progressive movements. Though he did not personally belong to those groups, he offered unwavering ideological support. Until his passing, he remained an invaluable comrade-in-arms.
“He was never one to retreat from the battlefield of ideas. Even when advised to rest, he refused to slow down.
“We met for the last time at the Centenary of Commandante Fidel Castro in Abuja on September 18, 2025. After our usual camaraderie, he offered a quiet but resolute salute — the kind that spoke volumes of conviction and defiance. Painfully, that was our last meeting.
“To his wife and children: your patriarch was a hero of revolutionary struggles — a steadfast voice for workers, a fearless advocate for the oppressed, and a man of unimpeachable conviction.
“To the leaders and cadres of the socialist movement, let us find solace in the words of C.L.R. James, ‘This act in itself will not delay their day of judgement,” Aregbesola said.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
