Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, says for democracy in
Nigeria to come of age, incumbent political officeholders must stop influencing
election outcomes.
In his Democracy Day message on Sunday, Atiku said political
leaders must be committed to the principles of fairness in election conduct, to
avoid a dictatorship society.
Democracy Day is commemorated annually in Nigeria on June
12.
The former PDP presidential candidate said his observation
of how democracy is run in Nigeria has convinced him that “a lot of work still
lies ahead”.
He added that democracy in the country “remains in bondage”.
“On this occasion of Democracy Day, it is time for us to
reflect as a people and a country on our journey to becoming a democratic
society,” the statement reads in part
“For Nigerians who were around during the dark days of
military dictatorships, it is important that we appreciate the successes that
we have achieved in making democracy the norm of politics in Nigeria.
“But democracy
without a corresponding commitment to the principles of fairness and fidelity
to the rule of play by stakeholders in the processes of conducting elections
still leaves the people prostrate to tendencies of dictatorship.
“For our democracy to be fully fledged, it must constantly
evolve away from the current practice where the governing elite determines the
outcome of elections.
“Democracy and the process of democratization is a constant
work in progress. While what we celebrate today is a return to civil rule in
Nigeria, the desire to make our democracy self-sustaining and independent of
anti-democratic elements is the new frontier of participation by all democrats.
“As I congratulate Nigerians on this day, in celebration of
return to civil rule, I also call our consciousness to the reality that
democracy in Nigeria remains in bondage and it will need the energy of all of
us to rescue it.”
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com