Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar stated that democracy in Nigeria remains enslaved and that it will need the combined efforts of all Nigerians to free it.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate for the February 25, 2023 election said in a statement posted on Sunday that the ruling class must cease influencing election outcomes.
Atiku stated that Democracy Day is an opportunity for Nigerians to reflect on the country’s journey toward being a democratic society.
He said “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.”
According to Atiku, much work remains to be done in the advancement of Nigeria’s democracy.
“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.
“The challenge ahead of us and the future of our democracy will rely heavily on what we do or fail to do today,” he stated.
“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.”
