Don’t stay aloof during elections, attorney general tells elite

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has challenged the elites to participate actively in the country’s democracy, saying that standing aloof and not voting during elections would not help the democratic process in the country.

Fagbemi, while delivering a lecture for the 39th Convocation of the University of Ilorin, Kwara state, on Friday, also stressed the need to reform the nation’s education system to nurture democracy in the country.

Speaking on the Convocation lecture titled, ‘Nurturing Democratic Values and Education for the Future of Nigeria’, the Attorney General said the elites in the society, including university lecturers are culpable of not voting for candidates or parties of their choice during elections.

According to him, they are the most vocal to criticise government policies and programs after the government has come to power.

Fagbemi said, “It is the civic responsibility of the people to participate in the democratic process by voting during the election charged the Elites to examine themselves adding you have no responsibility to complain on government policies if you don’t vote during the election.”

The Legal luminary who underscores the need to reform the educational system in the country in such a way to develop democracy said that “there’s an urgent need to reform the nation’s education system to nurture democracy and the society.

“Nigeria’s educational system must be overhauled in such a way to imbue in us the democratic values of tolerance, respect for others and for the Rule of Law”.

#According to him, Nigeria’s educational system must be overhauled to re-orientate the citizens to understand that democracy is synonymous with engagement, transparency and collaboration, “not just a theoretical concept devoid of challenges and conflicts.”

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