On the occasion of the country’s Democracy Day, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and notable Nigerians have called for a deepened democratic culture as well as honouring the sacrifices of all those who fought for democratic rule.
The APC, in a terse post on the official page of the party on Facebook, said, “We celebrate 23 years of uninterrupted democratic governance in Nigeria. May the sacrifices made by all who ensured the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria, never be in vain.”
The governor of Ondo state, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, said that restructuring remains the only panacea for the array of challenges confronting the nation, particularly insecurity.
The governor in his June 12 message said it is time to deepen the democratic values that the Democracy day represents.
“Today, we must make efforts to ensure that the reason for this day is not defeated. Our focus must shift primarily to the people. We must identify the challenges confronting the nation and be prepared to tackle them for the overall benefit of Nigerians,” he said.
Akeredolu said, “The need for restructuring has stared us in the face for too long. It is time for the Federal government to shed its excesses for the sub-nationals. Security must be devolved to the states. There is no better time for state police than now!
“We must be sincere in our approach to securing the lives and property of the people. The Chief Executives of states should not be Chief Security officers without the prerequisite for necessary security measures. It is time to rise above mere appellation to being pragmatic.
“The symbol of the June 12 struggle paid the supreme sacrifice. Our people must not continue to pay the ultimate price in vain. It is devastating. Let us deepen our Democratic values by devolving power to the sub-nationals. It will strengthen governance and make us stronger.”
Similarly, a former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, called on Nigerians to remember the sacrifices of the country’s past heroes.
In a statement by his media office in Abuja, Saraki said, “As families across Nigeria settle in to commemorate the significance of #DemocracyDay, we all must remember the immeasurable sacrifice of our heroes — as well as celebrate the courage, and persistence of all Nigerians.
“This is because, throughout this oft-imperfect journey to institutionalize stronger democratic values in all aspects of our lives, there have been hiccups, yet, Nigerians have always demonstrated an unwavering commitment to forge a better, stronger, safer, and more prosperous nation.”
He used the opportunity to call on Nigerians to ensure that they have their PVCs to exercise their civic responsibility by participating in the election of leaders at the state and federal levels.
Furthermore, civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, said there was nothing to celebrate under the oppressive regime of President Muhammadu Buhari.
HURIWA, in a statement by its national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the “least the president can do as his tenure winds down is to stem the despicable tide and at least reverse things to how he met it in 2015 when he assumed office. “Nigerians are not begging for any improvement; they only need one thing: reverse the socio-economic woos to status quo, to the 2015 days at least. That is not too much to ask for, at least.”
