Social critics, activists, and political analysts under the auspices of Downtrodden Peoples Services (DPS) have said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), cannot take Nigeria to the promised land.
They made the disclosure at a press conference to mark the 61st independence anniversary of Nigeria in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Our correspondent recalls that both the PDP and APC are the two political parties that have ruled the country since the inception of the present fourth republic in 1999.
But, DPS while speaking at the press conference, noted that none of the two parties can take the country out of the present woes.
The group noted that the only solution is for the masses to reject the two parties and form a movement where their interest would be represented.
Convener of the group, Mr. Kunle Bewaji, while addressing journalists, insisted that the present system run by both the APC and PDP at the national and state levels only favors politicians to the detriment of the majority of the people who are poor.
He cautioned that if the system is not changed there will be no Nigeria in some years to come.
“The present system is wrong as it favors the politicians, the politicians became billionaires while ninety percent of the population became very poor.
“If we do not change this, there won’t be a country called Nigeria in the next few years. Unfortunately, the politicians are not ready to do this.
“We need to take power away from the politicians and give back to the people through the ballot box
“To achieve this, we need all of us, the aggrieved, the poor, the oppressed, the educated, the students, the parents to join us en mass to achieve a new Nigeria where there will be total freedom of the press
“Our intention is to make sure the Foundational Structures stated below are included in our country’s constitution. The templates in the structure will cut across the board in all the states of the federation irrespective of any political party in power.
“We hereby present to you, the hope to take your destiny in your hands. Instead of collecting stipends like 5,000 nairas from politicians who collect billions in exchange and destroy your future, we have come to give you the opportunity to become politicians by joining our movement.
“The country is in dire straights. We need to rescue ourselves from these hopeless situations.
“Incidentally, there has been a reverse in the progress of the nation. This happens because of the nature of our politics which lays emphasis on the enrichment of the politicians instead of the citizens and the country as a whole.
“We live in a fantasy world where we believe good things will happen if we pray and go on months of fasting as if we have not been praying and fasting before. Most things we pray for in Nigeria are the duties of the government”.
