Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Fashola Questions APC Reward System
- Concerns About Traditional Voters
- Youth Involvement in Politics
- Conclusion
Former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has raised concerns regarding the All Progressives Congress (APC) reward system.
Fashola highlighted a decline in the number of votes received by the APC.
In light of this, he questioned whether APC’s policies still resonate with its traditional supporters.
He made these remarks during the APC Stakeholders Forum, which endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term yesterday in Lagos.
The former governor of Lagos State expressed uncertainty about whether the party maintains a well-documented register of members who can be engaged to help boost voter turnout.
According to Fashola: “Our closest opposition used to capture about one-third of the total votes we received. That was the situation back then.
“So, what has changed? Why has the vote count decreased? I believe this is the core issue. There are many statistics to consider, but I won't delve into analyzing all those figures.
“Where are our traditional voters? Are they still with us? Are they showing up for us? And why aren't they participating more?
“This is a moment for candid answers and genuine inquiries, and I hope these questions will be posed, as I mentioned, after this meeting by those committed to ensuring we mobilize voters for the upcoming election.
“Some questions to consider include whether our policies and programs still resonate with our traditional base.
“What does our party's reward system look like? How do we network with one another?
“I have raised questions such as, if we wanted to implement a specific program involving certain tradespeople, do we have a register to identify party members interested in this?
“These are questions that I believe this conference encourages us to explore because political party engagement relies on enthusiasm.
“When people are enthusiastic, they will participate and vote. However, there is still hope, as we are in a period of renewed optimism, and we will transform this renewed hope into renewed enthusiasm for our party and our initiatives.
“Indeed, some speakers before me have referenced the increasing demographic of young people.”
The former minister also questioned why the children of APC leaders are not actively participating in the party's activities.
“Now, how many of our children are engaged in what we are doing? How many of our children attend our rallies and campaigns?
“If it is significant to us, we must make it meaningful to them and find ways to connect them to it. Because ultimately, who will we be handing it over to if not them?
“A good starting point is to ask ourselves, in APC-controlled states and institutions, including educational institutions, where are the APC youth wings? How are we connecting and attracting individuals? Because the APC should function like any other club in a university that one can join.
“Thus, these are the questions we need to ask and answer very honestly,” he concluded.
Frequently Asked Questions
What concerns did Fashola raise about the APC?
Fashola questioned the APC's reward system and expressed concerns about the decline in votes, asking whether the party's policies still resonate with its traditional supporters.
Why is youth involvement in the APC important according to Fashola?
Fashola emphasized the need for the party to engage younger generations, noting that the future leadership will eventually be passed on to them. He urged for connections to be made to involve them in party activities.
