The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has challenged the elite to participate actively in growing democracy in the country, stating that standing aloof and not voting during elections does not help the democratic process.
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.
Speaking on the convocation lecture titled “Nurturing Democratic Values and Education for the Future of Nigeria,” the Senior Advocate of Nigeria stated that the elite in society, including university lecturers, are culpable for not voting for candidates or parties of their choice during elections.
According to him, they are the most vocal in criticising government policies and programmes 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 elections, and I charge the elite to examine themselves because you have no right to complain about government policies if you don’t vote during elections.”
