Opposition Has Stabilised Polity, Deepened Democracy, Says Lai Mohammed

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has stabilized the polity through its media intervention and debates on burning national issues, the main opposition party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said.

He said opposition was a necessity in a democracy to promote good governance, stability and accountability.

Speaking at the Students’ Week of the Nigeria Institute of Journalism (NIJ) in Ogba, Lagos State, where he was guest speaker, Mohammed urged the Federal Government to perform its responsibilities, instead of calling the opposition names.

In a lecture titled: “The Role of the Media, Youth and Opposition in Sustaining and Deepening Nigerian Democracy”, the APC spokesman said the party had performed its role well in sustaining democracy.

He said: “Through our daily media intervention, through our stimulation of debates on critical national issues and by the consistent efforts to offer our long-suffering people credible democratic alternatives, the rights of Nigerians have been protected.

“In performing this role, my party has been guided by the highest principles, based on our recognition of the opposition, not only in ensuring the survival, deepening and expansion of democracy, but also in preserving human liberty and guaranteeing justice, particularly in a plural society”.

The APC spokesman also touched on the issue of the recent ban on #BringBackOurGirls protesters by the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, saying it showed a lack of sensitivity on the part of government to the plight of the people.

According to Mohammed, “Unfortunately, brave and compassionate Nigerians, who have abandoned their daily chores to call attention to the plight of the innocent girls and demand their safe return, have themselves come under attack”.

He added that the government’s claim that the opposition was the brain behind the growing Boko Haram insurgency was unfounded.

Mohammed said: “Boko Haram is the enemy of the whole world; its activities are not narrowed to ethnics or other inclinations. President Goodluck Jonathan should stop seeing the group’s activities as a conspiracy to bring down his administration.

“The government should summon a security summit to take a holistic review of the security system in Nigeria with a view to finding lasting solution to it”, Mohammed said.

He noted that the growing poverty in the land was responsible for growing insurgency.

The APC spokesman urged the government to tackle the problem headlong, instead of crying wolf where none exists.