Convener of the Alternative Movement, Segun Showunmi, has lamented that Nigerians have reduced democratic participation to “skit making.”
He argued that democracy without active citizen participation helps politicians manipulate the process.
He stated this on Friday while receiving members of the Action Alliance and the Labour Party at his residence in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain added that voter cards belonging to non-participants are often used by politicians to rig and inflate votes on election days.
Showunmi said, “The first is that, what is the point of a democracy that you all are not participating in? Nigerians, you have reduced this democracy to skits. Instead of joining political parties, you will not join. They will ask you to go and collect PVCs; yes, you may reluctantly collect them because you are using them as a means of identification.
“Up until now, I’m told that we have done over 90 million PVCs in Nigeria. I don’t know if we have sorted out those who died and those who are alive, but I believe that the number of younger people coming into the space is more than our death rates.
“Unfortunately, more than any other country in the world, Nigeria is one of the nations where conversations on development, government, politics, and political players are the highest and the noisiest in terms of disapproval. You would naturally expect that a population that speaks about these issues in their homes, beer parlours, schools, television, radio, and everywhere would know that participation is the only thing that makes sense.”
He urged everyone to spread awareness among their families and cautioned that apathy among citizens is a serious issue facing the nation.
“This is now beyond polling units. We need to get back to our families and speak some sense into our citizens that it is the greatest level of irresponsibility for us as Nigerians to complain a lot and yet not come out or join parties.
“We have created a major democratic challenge for our country. How do we even navigate 2027 in such a way that we will not disgrace ourselves in the midst of the committee of nations? Because it is not realistic to say that you practise democracy and the ruling party will be the only one on the ballot.”
Meanwhile, he appealed to politicians, particularly those from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to stop blaming the Electoral Act for their shortcomings, saying, “We did not sign an Electoral Act so that it can fit the thinking of serial contestants,” emphasising that the law applies to everyone, including future contestants.
He urged them to focus on grassroots engagement and building their party’s capacity rather than complaining about the electoral process.
Speaking earlier, the State Chairman of Action Alliance, Prof. Tunde Adebola, expressed the party’s commitment to working closely with Showunmi to achieve his governorship ambition in the forthcoming election.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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