June 12: Democracy In Nigeria Still In Bondage, needs rescue – Atiku

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said democracy in the country is still in bondage despite successes achieved in making it the norm of politics in Nigeria.

Atiku who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 2 presidential election, in a message to mark this year’s democracy day celebration, noted that “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.”

According to him, “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.”

Atiku said what was being celebrated
is a return to civil rule in Nigeria, stating that “as it requires collective energy and commitment to attain civil rule, it will require a concomitant commitment to advance the cause of democracy and our democratisation process.”

The PDP candidate recalled the nation’s struggle against military dictatorship, and warned that the future of Nigeria’s democracy will rely heavily on what the citizens do or fail to do.

“Democracy and the process of democratisation is a constant work in progress.

“To achieve this noble goal, our commitment to the cause of democracy must be eternal.

“The desire to make the nation’s democracy self-sustaining and independent of anti-democratic elements is the new frontier of participation by all democrats.

“Folks on the other side, enemies of democracy, whom we are up against, are not resting. To defeat them, we must do more!

“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.

“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.

“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.