These immortal lines capture the essence of 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.
The final chapter
The chain of events leading to that fateful Sunday, October 12, 2025, began on July 6, 2023, when Comrade John Odah first raised concerns about Aremson’s health. Every possible measure was taken to prevent the catastrophe that eventually struck on March 3, 2024, when he suffered a stroke.
After initial treatment at a hospital in Isolo, Lagos — facilitated by a comrade — he travelled to Havana, Cuba, on September 9, 2024, where he received world-class medical care. He returned to Lagos on November 2, 2024, remarkably improved. But Comrade Fidelista Abiodun Aremu was never one to retreat from the battlefield of ideas and activism. Against medical advice, he threw himself back into the struggle for freedom and human dignity, which led to a second stroke on April 29, 2025, undoing much of his earlier progress.
Even then, he refused to slow down. He continued to participate, engage, and lead struggles and battles— locally and internationally. His intellectual energy was matched only by his physical resolve. Colleagues and comrades were worried about his intensity, but he could not be dissuaded. He was determined and irrepressible — as if he was racing against time.
Recently, Comrade Owei Lakemfa and I advised him against a grueling back-to-back travel schedule between Abuja and Lagos. He declined firmly, seeing those engagements as revolutionary duties that could not be compromised.
We met at the Centenary of Commandante Fidel Castro in Abuja on Thursday, September 18, 2025. After our usual camaraderie, he offered a quiet but resolute salute — the kind that spoke volumes of conviction and defiance. I could not agree more with his spirit. Painfully, that was our last meeting.
A rebel till the end!
When Comrade Lakemfa called at 21:18 hrs on Sunday, October 12, 2025, to break the news of his transition, my first thought after the shock and grief was of Bob Marley’s “Babylon System” (1979) — a song Aremson deeply loved, and one that perfectly mirrored his life and struggle:
We refuse to be what you wanted us to be,
We are what we are, that’s the way it’s going to be.
Talking ‘bout my freedom, people’s freedom and liberty!
Babylon system is the vampire, sucking the children day by day…
Tell the children the truth… Got to rebel, y’all!
Since hearing of his passing, this song has echoed ceaselessly in my mind. It is how I have been able to internalise his departure — a rebel’s requiem.
Immortal spirit
Like all mortals, our comrade has crossed to the other side. Yet, his deeds and example remain luminous — a beacon to all who continue the struggle.
In his final note to me on October 6, 2025, Aremson wrote:
“I SALUTE Comrade Usifo of TUC, all the NEC of TUC and PENGASSAN for this new dawn in trade unionism in Nigeria. I am excited because I am a disciple of Commandante Fidel. CHE’s battle cry goes thus: A battle is either won or lost. The most decisive is to join the battle! Me, Comrade Fidelista Abiodun Aremu, join every battle anytime, so long as I breathe.” — Written October 5, posted October 6, 2025.
This final declaration captures the totality of the man — unyielding, inspired, and eternally committed to the cause of human dignity and liberation.
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.”
Forward ever, backward never — till victory always.
Ogbeni Aregbesola is the former Governor of Osun State and former Minister of Interior.
