Just the other day, I took my children to visit a government office. While there, we encountered protesters from a well-known civic movement. I made sure we listened attentively to their agitations and then engaged them in a calm debate about some of the key changes unfolding in Nigeria.
I argued that under the current dispensation, Nigeria has undergone a major course correction and is now oriented towards a more sustainable development path. While challenges remain, the fundamentals are improving, and ongoing reforms are beginning to yield results.
I also took the opportunity to explain something important to Tammy, Timmy, and Tommy. There was a time when I was firmly on the demand side of good governance, advocating, critiquing, and seeking change from the margins. At a point, however, I made a conscious decision to join a political party, which gave me the opportunity to participate in politics, elections, and eventually on the supply side of good governance, where ideas are institutionalised, policies are formulated, and change is implemented.
That decision explains my continued commitment to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a party I have belonged to as a foundation member since its inception and within which I have been deeply involved in its internal dynamics and growth.
A political party is not simply a vehicle for contesting and winning elections. It is an institution for aggregating interests, recruiting leadership, shaping ideology, and sustaining democratic governance over time.
At the state caucus level, our Governor and party leader, His Excellency Biodun Oyebanji, has reiterated Ekiti State APC’s full support for the efforts of the national leadership of our party to consolidate and strengthen our membership database. The ongoing registration and revalidation exercise is therefore not a routine administrative task. It is a strategic step towards building a more inclusive, responsive, and future-ready party.
I am proud to be one of the key go-to legislators that civil society works with in the 10th Assembly to advance priority legislation for open governance, greater accountability, and civic protections. Bills such as the Whistle Blowers Bill; Independent Candidacy Bill; FOI Act Amendment Bill; Sexual Assault Prohibition, Prevention, and Redressal in Educational Institutions Bill; and the Code of Conduct Bureau Amendment Bill are all joint efforts of my office and key civil society organisations.
Non-partisan civic engagement still has its place in our society and remains important. However, we need more well-meaning Nigerians to get involved in political parties and contribute to change from the inside. If you are not going to get registered in our party, ensure you are registered elsewhere, or at the very least, do something more constructive than merely criticising government from the sidelines.
For those genuinely interested in bringing about lasting change, my counsel is simple: join, participate, and help build. Democracy is strengthened not by permanent protest alone, but by citizens who are willing to organise, engage institutions, and take responsibility for outcomes.
Go to your ward today and request to be registered as a bona fide member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). I urge you to take that bold step and join the APC, so that together we can deepen our democracy, strengthen our institutions, and continue the steady work of building a more prosperous and sustainable Nigeria for all.
May God bless our efforts.
AkinỌmỌAkin
