Atiku asks governing elites to stop determining outcome of elections
By Tunde Opalana
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar said to deepen Nigeria’s democracy, governing elites should desist from determining outcomes of elections.
In a message personally signed to commemorate the June 12 Democracy Day, the former vice president of Nigeria said though Nigeria’s democracy is evolving, concerted efforts should be made to comply with internationally adopted democratic norms and principles which include fairness, equity and justice.
According to him, 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.
Atiku in a statement on Sunday said “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.
“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 democratization process.”
The Turaki Adamawa said the challenge ahead of Nigerians and the future of her democracy will rely heavily on what they do or fail to do today.
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“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!,” he added.
While congratulating Nigerians on this day, in celebration of return to civil rule, he also called their consciousness to the reality that democracy in Nigeria remains in bondage and it will need the energy of all of us to rescue it.
