Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has said for political action to produce tangible results in poor societies, it must go beyond protest and the “euphoria that it brings.”

Osinbajo said this in his keynote address at the the ongoing Technology, New Media, Citizens and Governance Conference (TNCG) in Lagos, on Thursday.

He also maintained that the elite have crucial roles to play in building coalition for political change that leads to structural reforms.

He said, “Political action must go beyond protest and the euphoria that it brings. It must lead to some measurable or tangible result, otherwise it becomes counterproductive.

“In poor societies, every day of protest is valuable, because it means that the millions of informal workers and traders make a huge sacrifice because they earn on a daily basis. So, it is important that there is good reason for the sacrifices that are made. Political action must lead closer to resolving the issues that cripple our societies.”

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He added that the elite – whom he earlier during the course of his presentation described as a small fraction of society who wield enormous social, political and economic power – have a critical role to play in building coalition for political change that leads to structural reforms.

“The role of the elite in political action is crucial. When I say the elite in this room I speak of us, of civil society. The role is crucial. Usually it is the elite that have the facilities to craft the objectives of political action or to clearly articulate the grievance and what would amount to success in the particular political action.

“They have the networks and the resources to build coalition for political change, often leading to structural reforms; the type of change that makes a real difference.

“A major advantage of technology and in particular the social media in mobilising protesters is that the coordination of action can take place without any apparent leadership. And we have seen that, you know, on social media, it’s possible to organise without identifying any leadership at all, if there is no achievable end.”