ABEOKUTA – In a show of selfless service to the downtrodden, a socio-political movement, The Alternative on Thursday provided free medical outreach to the residents of Ewekoro and Ifo local government areas of Ogun State.
The initiative, according to the movement, was part of a broader re-orientation and advocacy programme for the electorates.
The residents were tested for sugar level and blood pressure.
The Chief Promoter of group, Otunba Segun Showunmi, said the body is committed to combining political education with tangible community support, especially in the area of health care.
Showunmi, represented by Reverend Olusola Salau, the Southwest Chairman of the movement at the event held in Ifo, noted that this was the first time the group was offering free medical tests as part of its advocacy.
He said the idea was to identify real issues facing communities and find practical ways to address them.
He emphasised the link between health and political participation.
“We have seen that apart from telling people to go and vote, you must make sure that they have good health.
“We go into communities, identify their problems, and work towards solving them. That’s what makes our approach different. In Ifo, for example, we discovered a young community youth leader who suddenly lost his vision after the election. We had him tested for sugar levels and other vitals,” Showunmi said.
“How are we going to orientate people about elections if we don’t look into their healthcare? That’s why we added free medical tests to our advocacy work,” he explained.
Showunmi reiterated that the goal is to inspire a new mindset towards politics ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We are not just talking, we are doing the heavy lifting required to build a better nation,” he affirmed.
He called on other political actors to adopt a more human-centered approach to governance and advocacy, saying that true transformation starts with addressing the real needs of the people.
