2019: Take Reasonable Steps To Make Democracy Work, Jonathan’s Minister Challenges INEC

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By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan

The immediate past Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under ex President Goodluck Jonathan, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide on Thursday asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make democracy work in Nigeria by conducting credible, free and fair election in 2019.

Oloye Jumoke Akinjide gave the charge in Ibadan while speaking at the first Oyo State PDP Youth Summit 2018 with the theme, “Involvement of Youth in Nigeria Politics: 2019 in Focus”,.

Speaking through  Alhaji Isiaka Kehinde on ” Involvement of Youth in Nigeria Politics: 2019 in Focus”,
the  former FCT Minister said in doing this, there is the need for INEC to take all the reasonable steps to make democracy work in Nigeria.

Oloye Jumoke Akinjide emphasized that one of best ways to go about this “is by disinfecting the system from its moral virus such as disallowing under-age voters or by stopping aliens from neighbouring countries from PVC, which in most cases, are not even accessible to eligible Nigerians.”

” Let me therefore call on INEC to take all reasonable steps to make democracy work in Nigeria. It should not only promise to do what is right, it must convincingly be seen doing so. One of the surest ways to go about is by disinfecting the system from its moral virues e.g, disallowing under aged voters or by stopping aliens from neighbouring countries from getting PVC which in most place, are not even assesible to eligible Nigerian voters,” she said.
On the expected roles by the youths in Nigeria, the former Minister declared that any nation wishing to guarantee its future should put all its energy in raising the moral tenets of its youth, saying, “that our democracy still continues to languish in the wings since the beginning of our political history in Nigeria till date is a testimony of the type of youth we raise.”

“Therefore, I am not just asking the Nigerian youth to be involved in politics, which of course, is their inalienable right guaranteed by the constitution once they have reached eighteen years, I am saying, for crying out loud, they should make a difference. They should not just mix with crowd and straggle away without making an impact”.

Another PDP leader in Oyo state and a governorship hopeful in the state, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin while speaking pointed out that INEC as an umpire in the electioneering process should be seen unbias in their conduct.

Senator Lanlehin in his keynote address however charged Nigerian youths to be more proactive so that they can take their rightful position in the running of the country affairs.

” Let me correct this impression of the notable saying, that youths are the leaders of tomorrow, I want to say, youths are the leaders of today. I want to charge you to be more active politically.With this today’s youth summit in our great party, PDP, am seriously convince that you have start on good note and I urge to continue the trend”.

The Oyo PDP Youth Summit was attended by  over 2000 youths including the PDP National Youth Leader, Hon Udeh Okoye, Former House Leader, Federal House of Representatives, Mulikat Adeola Akande as the mother of the day, former SSG to Oyo state government,  Alhaji Sarafadeen Abiodun Ali, Senator Gbenga Babalola, Aremo Femi Adeoti, South West PDP youth leader and other stalwart of the party.

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