Actively committed to the campaign for good governance and political participation, the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa in collaboration with a civic group, You Win, took to the streets of Ikeja, Lagos State on April 4, 2020, to sensitize citizens on the importance of actively participating in governance and electoral processes in preparation for the country’s next election cycle in 2023.[spacer height=”25px”]
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At the sensitization walk, CAPPA’s Associate Director, Aderonke Ige encouraged citizens to participate in the electoral process by registering on the Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria’s (INEC) Continuous Voter Registration Portal to receive their Permanent Voters Card (PVCs). She urged citizens to refrain from political apathy despite the gloomy state of governance in the country. According to her, the upcoming election presents a most remarkable opportunity for citizens to speak truth to power, demand accountability from duty bearers, and make crooked spaces less crooked in Nigeria’s political environment by voting for the right persons. While also speaking to journalists on significant developments in the country’s democratic space, Aderonke opposed the decision of the Lagos State government to reopen for business, the Lekki Tollgate which was shut down in October 2020 after alleged members of the Nigerian Army opened fire on unarmed, flag-bearing protestors at the toll plaza. She remarked that the tollgate has become a symbol of resistance, and representation of the collective will of Nigerians to always demand accountability from security operatives and duty bearers.[spacer height=”25px”]
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Dabira Adeyinka, a member of the You Win Group also decried the poor state of governance in the country. To achieve meaningful progress in governance, elected officials must create inclusive spaces for citizens to partake in the business of governance beyond the act of voting, she expressed.[spacer height=”25px”]
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CAPPA’s policy and research analyst, Zikora Ibeh noted that the voter education exercise was geared toward expanding the civic space by strengthening the capacities of citizens to engage meaningfully in the processes of governance and speak truth to power through civic actions such as voting.
