ASHENEWS reports that the former Vice president Atiku Abubakar has observed that democracy that is not committed to the principles of fidelity to the rule of the game, leaves the people prostrate to dictatorship tendencies.
Abubakar made the observation on his Facebook page in celebration of this year’s Democracy Day on Monday.
According to him, “democracy without a corresponding commitment to the principles of fairness and fidelity to the rule of play by stakeholders in conducting elections still leaves the people prostrate to dictatorship tendencies.”
He also called on Nigerians “consciousness to the reality that democracy in Nigeria remains in bondage, and it will need the energy of all of us to rescue it.”
Abubakar faulted situations in Nigeria where those in power determine the outcomes of elections.
“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,” he stated.
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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.
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 conducting elections still leaves the people prostrate to dictatorship tendencies.
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.
When I often take stock of the activism that birthed the current democratic dispensation, I am even more convinced that much work still lies ahead.
Democracy and the process of democratisation are 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 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 challenge ahead of us and the future of our democracy will rely heavily on what we do or fail to do today.
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 the 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. -AA #DemocracyDay
