Can you reflect on your background?

I was born in Edo State, Nigeria, in the Great Kingdom
of Benin. I am the last of four children. I attended
Paragon Comprehensive College, also in Benin, before moving to the United States where I continued my education. My family has a strong musical background. My father, John Aigbe, was a music producer, while my eldest uncle, Dr. Aigbe Lebarty, was president of the Nigerian Union of Musicians. My other uncle, Lucky Lebarty, is also a musician, who operates a music company. Felix Lebarty, as you all know, is also my uncle. He had many hits such as Ifeoma. I believe they also call him Lover Boy back then.

What have you been doing since you got to the US?

Currently, I live in New York City. I graduated from Brooklyn College which is part of the City University of New York. While at Brooklyn College, I was active in advocating student rights which promised to develop and advance Brooklyn College’s student body. I contested and won the presidency of the Student Union which represented 10,000 undergraduate students. My election was symbolic as I was the first person of African descent to be elected to that position. I also served as president of the West African Student Association. While in graduate school, I successfully ran for Presidency of the Graduate Student Organisation. As a president, I led a delegation of students, labour unions and healthcare workers to Leeds for the centennial celebration of the abolition of slavery in Wilberforce, England. During the course of the trip, I discovered some of the stolen artifacts looted from Benin City by the British, during the British punitive expedition of 1897, which we now call the “Benin Massacre.” That discovery led me to work with other groups on ways to return the stolen artifacts back to their rightful place, the Oba’s Palace. First as student advocate and coming from my background, I always believe that if we work together, we can achieve the impossible.

How was growing up like in Nigeria?

Growing up in Nigeria as you know is tough, especially in the heart of Benin City. It is not easy unless your parents are well off. My father was living in the United States at the time and I did not meet him for the first time until I was about 10 years old. So, my mom took care of us with help from my grandmother. Five of us lived in a cramped one room, which served as the kitchen, parlour, and bedroom. I went to school barefoot or borrowing sandals from my neighbour because we really didn’t have much. There were several bad experiences that I would say made me the better person that I am today. Since we were living in a family house, with each family having their own little room, so, lots of kids, and extended family members were around. There were those who did the bad stuff, always up to no good. My family house is in Benin City, almost an empty place now, I was there on my last trip and it brought back a lot of memories. So, when I got to New York, I was disillusioned being that most foreigners think the streets of America are paved with gold.

What was your childhood aspiration?

I actually thought I would be a soccer player – goalkeeper, or that my dad will take me to America so I can pluck money from trees... but as you can see,  the soccer part didn’t pan out so well. I just wanted to make my mom proud because she was always working hard for us.

One can say your admission to Brooklyn College set the stage for your entry into public service and advocacy. Isn’t it?

When I arrived at Brooklyn College, I joined the West African Student Association. I later became the organisation’s president. I realised that we (meaning Africans) were not actively engaged in campus organisations which restricted our access to resources that other clubs had access to. So, we often had to go begging for resources whenever we wanted to host events. Because we didn’t have anyone fighting for us. I then joined the Student Government Association (SGA) because they controlled and doled out the funding. Also, I was a student activist, always travelling to the states capitol, to lobby elected officials why they should support higher education, working on issues of hunger and homelessness. Yes, there are homeless folks in America. As a result of my work, I was asked to run for Students Union president, which I won by 278 votes, that was how my life of advocacy began.

Currently, you are the Executive Director for the University Student Senate, City University of New York (CUNY). How did you attain this position and what are your responsibilities?

I applied for the position and got it. I’ve had several other jobs since graduating from the university, all in the form of advocacy. I was a project coordinator for New York Public Interest Research Group. After that, I was a Government Relations Manager for New Yorkers for Park. All these groups worked tirelessly to advocate issues that affected the working class. That has always been my true calling.

You and other American youth teamed up to work for the success of President Barack Obama in the last US presidential election; to what extent did you go in doing this?

I got involved in the Obama campaign in March, 2007, quickly proving myself to be what is termed “Super Volunteer,” basically eating and breathing the campaign. At that time, our sole purpose was to obtain signatures to get him on the ballot. I was responsible for Far Rockaway. In the process of trying to get the then Senator Obama on the ballot, I was also actively pursuing votes of my own to be a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. I was able to obtain 26,000 votes and was able to represent my district as a delegate. After the Democratic Convention, I was hired officially by the Obama campaign in Minnesota. Yes, I did have a job at the time but after weighing my options, I resigned and decided to take a chance. I followed my heart, Senator Obama was elected president, and I went on to work on now Senator Al Franken’s campaign, Ashwin Madia  for Congress and three other candidates at the lower house.

What are the challenges you encountered since you’ve been participating in US politics?

Like everywhere else in the world, it takes money to run a really competitive race. It’s a great deal of hard work, so a lot of personal sacrifice is involved. So, if you choose to run, it definitely has to come from the heart and your genuine interest in making the community a better place.

Why contesting in the US and not in Nigeria?

America truly has a democratic system with checks and balances that work. Nigeria is still growing but you’re hopeful that one day, it will be a free and democratic system that will work for the people.

What is your personal philosophy and who are your role models?

Whatever you do, work hard, be honest and always think from the perspective of the working class, remain humble even in the face of adversity. I have so many role models,but, for me, it’s my mom, because she worked so hard to raise us and keep us away from trouble. Beside that, Nelson Mandela, Wole Soyinka, Barrack Obama, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. are role models that inspire me everyday, because even in the face of oppression and injustice, they still persevered.

What is your ultimate goal as a politician?

Do the best I can to serve my community because we all can do better. I want to get up every morning knowing that I am contributing meaningfully and fighting hard for the well-being of my community.

What is your advice for the youths, parents and government, especially in Nigeria?

Like Gandhi said, be the change you want to see in the world. The youth are the leaders of tomorrow, so they need to work hard, and not look for the easy way out because nothing is easy. At the same time, they should not allow themselves to be used by others for their own selfish interest. Play cool, play nice. For the politicians, they should know that there is no such thing as a national cake. If at all there is, it should be used for the benefit of the whole, not the few. The future of Nigeria is in their hands, and whatever decision they make, good or bad, it reflects on them, as leaders. For the parents, keep taking care of your children to the best of your ability. Provide them with a good education so that they can contribute to the sustainable development of Nigeria.

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