Integrated marketing communications and youth development expert, ‘Jide Adeyemi, has called on indigenes and residents of voting age in Oyo State to take advantage of the ongoing membership revalidation and registration by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to register and become card-carrying members of the party to enable them contribute their quota to the development of the pacesetter state and Nigeria.
He made the appeal on Saturday immediately after revalidating his membership of the APC at Unit 7, Ita Baale Olugbode Ward 1 in Ibadan North East Local Government area of Oyo State.
Adeyemi stated that the process to ensuring good governance and evolving a nation that works for all begins with the active participation of everyone in party politics, noting that party membership affords the larger majority of people to have a say in how they are governed.
He encouraged young people in particular to “soro soke” with their participation in governance by becoming bonafide members of a political party as doing so would offer them the platform to leverage their energy and innovation for a better Nigeria they were advocating.
‘‘In the words of Senator Bernie Sanders, ‘change will not take place without political participation’. If we all stay away from participating in governance and only continue to complain, the situation will not change.
While we will continue to advocate for good governance on social media, we need to know as young people that INEC would not count our Twitter posts and retweets, neither will the number of social media likes count as votes in an election. The huge number of followers we have on social media will not count except we step out. As believers, we will pray but INEC will not count our prayer points,’’ Adeyemi said.
Adeyemi, who is the CEO/Chief Brand Strategist, Big and Bold Communications Limited, added that, in order to build the dream future that will enhance a better society for all, the process of determining those that lead us at all levels of government is in our hands.
‘‘Do not forget, one of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you may end up being governed by your inferiors,” he warned.
He urged all APC members in Oyo State to come together and remain united so that they can jointly work for the development and progress of the state.
