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Nigerians should be part of the
on-going political renewal in the country by embracing membership of
political groups, rather than complaining or criticising those
involved. The national president of Kowa party, Umar Mustapha, said
people’s bias against the political class, which made them to tag
politics a dirty game, means some few have been allowed to hijack the
system to lord it over others.

“KOWA party has emerged as an
alternative political movement, driven by the deeply felt desire and
sense of public duty of hitherto non-partisan Nigerian professionals,
entrepreneurs, development practioners, faith community leaders, civil
society activists, media practitioners, academics, and youth leaders to
organise collectively for turning Nigeria in a new direction,” Mr.
Mustapha said.

He said Nigerians must learn to demand
more from their leaders, saying these people have failed a nation of
strong and hardworking people.

“Nigeria is at a crossroads. The
quality of life is at its lowest, and our future and that of our
children are at risk,” he said.

The party leader however, said
Nigerians cannot afford to shun political activities and still support
the ‘one man, one vote’ campaign that the civil society is clamouring
for in the country. He called on Nigerians to join political groups
such as KOWA party, a people-party funded by the people.

“When few people are involved in the
funding of activities of a political party, then majority of the people
cannot be involved in the decision making or question how things are
done. So, the people need to know that they need to take over what is
theirs and contribute towards its development,” said Oluremi Sonaiya, a
professor of Foreign Languages at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife,
and Public Relations Officer of the party.

Founded in June, 2009, the party said
its developmental plans goes beyond 2011 election to include
participation in the entire election, by using its political platform
to contest election and also monitor the entire political process.

The National Secretary of the party,
Olalekan Awogbemila, said the membership drive is for individuals
interested in contributing towards the development of Nigeria –
especially ordinary Nigerians on the streets, whom he said should stop
relegating themselves to merely watch how things happened without
prejudice to their financial status.

New progressive parties

KOWA party is one of a new group of
progressive parties fighting for space ahead of next year’s election.
Others include the Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) and the Social
Democratic Mega Party (SDMP). Presently, the Independence Electoral
Commission still has just 37 political parties listed on its websites.

Nigerians are also wary about the likely impact of the new parties, with the elections so near.

Lagos lawyer and Action Congress
member, Jaiye Alabi, said: “It is an odd thing to say that some names
you hear are political parties. Every day, they register new parties
and you wonder if even you can ask the INEC people themselves to
mention their names off hand. They can’t.”

Recently, Protem Chairman of the SDMP,
Pat Utomi, also asked the ranks of progressives in Nigeria to unite and
save Nigeria from the aimless drift into poverty which, he said, is
increasing on a daily basis in the country.

“History would hold the progressive
elements and leaders of the opposition in permanent contempt if they
fail to rally and take advantage of the fact that PDP has become
unelectable, as they now are largely a Poverty Distribution Party,
rather than a political party,” he said.