Nigerians have been charged to chase out the All Progressives Congress (APC), come 2023, as Nigerians have suffered enough, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and founder of the Kukah Centre, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, has said.
Kukah spoke during a conference on ‘Civic Space: the Pathway to social cohesion and integration in Nigeria’ organised by the Kukah Centre.
The former Secretary-General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria lamented the civil society which paraded men like Olisa Agbakoba, the late Beko Ransome-Kuti, Clement Nwankwo, Chidi Odinkalu and others, went to bed after it succeeded in ushering the nation to democracy.
Kukah further said the situation resulted in the confusion which the country is battling with where members of the National Assembly are contributing their various struggles to see the civic space is actually closing in instead of opening up.
He also said the situation was not unconnected with the fact the nation parades so many people who are in politics without any track record or antecedents of engagement with public life.
According to him: “In 2023, whether it happens or whatever the case may be, we prayerfully hope it happens, but it gives us another opportunity to ask ourselves and think about the mistake that we made because we are not innocent in the choices that we made.
“Most of us are complicit despite the fact that of course, using the agencies and agents of state, those in power always continue to seek to close the space.”
Kukah said the conversation would continue beyond 2023, saying there was the need to strengthen the nerves of Nigerians to create a robust democracy.
Stating that he was not causing trouble in the country, Kukah said Nigerians were already in trouble as a nation while saying the challenge was how to climb out.
He said that rather than accusing some of them of rebellion, it was bad governance that was a rebellion because when people sought to be elected, it was to make a better life for the people.
