TheCable

A group of young professionals has launched the Participate Movement (#PartyCP8) to encourage Nigerians to actively carry out their civic duties.

The ideology-driven campaign’s focus is to increase PVC collection among registered voters.

In a statement, Jude Feranmi, the group’s spokesman, said: “The kind of politics that is only geared to serve personal interests, funded by public treasury and marred with irregularities is not sustainable.

“Nigeria needs an urgent shift from the current style of politics that is bereft of ideology where platforms are just mere office-seeking spaces.

“Our movement is meant to show a new direction on how politics should be played.

“We are focused on increasing collection of permanent voter cards in the short term, while we decide on a permanent political participation structure, after the 2019 polls.

“This is a political movement with the mission to redefine Nigerian politics by building a formidable grassroots base, ready to challenge for elections in the medium term.

“The Participate Movement is a gradualist approach to working the grassroots, enabling leaders and the kind of politics that delivers economic empowerment for the citizens.

“The movement aims to build a network of committed funders; lower/middle-class Nigerians, interested in participating in politics and funding an extensive grassroots network.

“We will work together on cultivating the trust of Nigerians in the grassroots and will be patient in enabling new leaders interested in creating local cells in selected states.

“Participate funding will be transparent to members as use of funds will be available to its members.”

The movement said it hopes to reach two million Nigerians and will launch in at least 10 states before the end of 2018.

Through local community outreaches, the group said it will encourage Nigerians to collect their PVCs and participate in the next general election.

Feranmi said members of the public interested in joining the movement can do so via participate.ng.