Victor EzejaPresidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has identified a faulty electoral system as the bane of Nigeria’s democracy.
He said despite years of practicing democracy, Nigeria is still in search of a credible electoral system which is a hallmark of democracy.
Obi, who made this known in his Democracy Day message to Nigerians on Monday, noted that June 12, remains a special day in the nation’s democratic history and deserved to be continuously celebrated.
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He said: “On that day in 1993, we the people of Nigeria stated our unreserved preference for true democracy. Though under military rule, we freely chose a transparent voting method. Our votes reflected our true choice as a people. Our choice on that day defied divisions of ethnicity, religion, and region.
“It is these qualities that added up to make June 12 special in our search for true democracy.
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“Our collective choice of late Chief M. K.O Abiola as a worthy leader for the nation was saluted by Nigerians and governments and people across the world.
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“Therefore, June 12 underpins our long collective journey to nationhood as a true democracy.”
Obi lamented that as the country celebrates June 12 and the heroes of Nigeria’s democracy, the “current state of the polity shows that the democratic system is deeply troubled.”
Obi referred to the February 25 presidential election in which President Bola Tinubu was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC), saying it was deeply flawed, hence his decision to challenge the outcome in court as seen in the ongoing trial at the Presidential Election Petition Court.
He urged Nigerians to let the spirit of June 12 being celebrated as Democracy Day in our country inspire us to correct the errors of February 25, 2023, as the surest root to restoring and deepening our democracy.
He said: “We remain a nation in search of solutions to too many basic problems. One of these is the search for a credible electoral system that would command the trust, confidence, and belief of All Nigerians just like June 12 did.
“We should, therefore, use the commemoration of June 12 as an occasion to return to the true virtues of a truly democratic nation. We achieved that feat on June 12, 1993.
“In the spirit of June 12, therefore, we need to emplace an electoral system that commands the trust of the people. This is in recognition of the tenets and core values of democracy, which rest on respect for the wishes of the people as expressed in their ballots.
He stressed that “government must respect and protect the institutions of the democratic state by respecting the social contract with the people by meeting their needs, obeying their wishes, and fulfilling the responsibilities of responsible governance as contained in the constitution. A cardinal responsibility of government in this regard is respect for the rule of law.”
He regretted that the foundational pillars of democracy are undermined by prevalent impunity and pervasive violence, and bloodletting in the country.
He further observed that the trust deficit between the leaders and Nigerians has continued to increase and manifested so much during the last general elections.
The Former Anambra governor, therefore, advised that the commemoration of June 12 and a dedicated Democracy Day should inspire the citizens and leaders to correct the errors of the recent elections. “This is the surest way to restore the confidence of our people in the future of our nation and the promise of true democracy,” Obi stated.
Obi urged the people not to lose faith in the quest to correct the errors in the nation’s democratic system, adding that he remains committed and convinced that a New Nigeria is possible.
He said that the country is richly blessed with human and material resources but lacks selfless leaders “who are committed to the national interest, sustainable development, and innovative thinking that offers every Nigerian irrespective of ethnicity, religion, or social strata, the freedom of choice of abode, and protection of lives, property, and ordered liberties.”
“These aspirations are real and achievable, and I hereby reiterate my promise to Nigerians that we will not relent in our fight to bring about leadership that will accord them the priority they deserve,” Obi added.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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