The Convener of The Alternative, Segun Showunmi, has expressed concern over the diminishing role of civic responsibility among Nigerians, just as he urged citizens to remain committed to democratic values.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that The Alternative is a national opposition movement coalition focused on reorienting Nigeria’s democracy towards ideological clarity, integrity and transparency.
Showunmi made this assertion on Thursday during a town hall meeting of the movement in Abeokuta.
The convener said the ratio of voters who carried out their civic duties on election day is disproportionate to the number of registered voters in the database; he called on Nigerians to wake up to their responsibilities.
“We have more than 12 million registered voters, but in the last election, the man who became president won with only 8. something million. Where are the others on the day of their civic responsibility?” he asked.
Showunmi noted that The Alternative as a movement seeks to reorientate Nigerians on the need to fight against voters’ apathy, vote buying, ethnic discrimination and recycling of old political players.
He argued that in other climes, the government would have aligned itself with the works his coalition is doing.
The convener said that the government would have called them and started funding them because it was a reorientation job for the country.
He took a jab at many old politicians who changed parties at will to stay relevant, saying.
Showunmi stated that stability was the best way for the development of democracy.
In his remarks, the Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Dr Abayomi Arabambi, noted that the Alternative Movement is not opposed to coalition politics, but its interest is progressively oriented.
He noted that many politicians who practised coalition politics against the incumbent government do not have a moral ground to stand against it, considering the number of years the country had experienced bad leadership.
“Coalition built with genuine progressive alliances can be powerful vehicles for change. What we reject – what every sane Nigerian must reject – is the repackaging of certified failures as reformers.
“Many of them form coalitions not out of love for Nigeria but out of the fear of irrelevance. They preach unity after years of fuelling division,” he said.
Also speaking, Abayomi Sanyaolu, Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), commended Showunmi for his doggedness and commitment to the nation’s democracy.
He pledged the committee’s support towards the movement in a bid to achieve good governance.
NAN reports that the event featured politicians from different parties, different ethnic groups, student groups, among others.
VANGUARD.
