Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president and contender for president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the most recent election, claimed that Nigeria’s democracy is still in captivity and that everyone must exert effort to free it.
The former vice president said that the ambition to make Nigeria’s democracy self-sustaining and independent of anti-democratic groups is the new frontier of engagement by all democratic forces. He made this statement in his message to Nigerians on Democracy Day.
He continued by saying that the restoration to civil rule in Nigeria is being celebrated today and that this year’s observance of Democracy Day was a “time for us to reflect as a people and a country on our journey to becoming a democratic society.”
However, he went on to say that given the experience of Nigerians who lived through the dark era of military dictatorships, it was crucial to recognise the progress made in establishing democracy as the norm in Nigerian politics.
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However, Atiku noted that it was crucial to recognise the accomplishments made in establishing democracy as the norm in Nigerian politics in light of the experience of Nigerians who lived through the dark era of military dictatorships.
According to Atiku, the challenge the nation faces and the country’s democracy’s future will greatly depend on what Nigerians do or fail to do today. Achieving civil rule will require a collective effort and commitment, and it will also require a commitment to further the cause of democracy and our democratisation process.
“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.
“Many times, when I take stock of the activism that birthed the current democratic dispensation, I am even more convinced that a lot of work still lies ahead.
“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.”
“To achieve this noble goal, our commitment to the cause of democracy must be eternal. Folks on the other side, enemies of democracy, whom we are up against, are not resting. To defeat them, we must do more!
“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,” Atiku stated.
