Politics

June 12 is historic but Nigeria’s electoral system is fraudulent- Peter Obi

No Comments

June 12 is a historic day and deserves to be celebrated, says ex-Governor Peter Obi.

He, however, condemned the lack of credibility of Nigeria’s electoral system.

According to Mr Obi, Nigeria’s democracy is undermined by impunity and violent bloodshed.

Commemorating Nigeria’s Democracy Day in a statement shared on his Twitter page, Mr Obi said;

“June 12 is a historic day that deserves to be celebrated” as it “underpins our long collective journey to nationhood as a true democracy.”

The Labour Party presidential candidate added, “Regrettably, we are now in an era where these foundational pillars of democracy are undermined by prevalent impunity and pervasive violence and bloodletting.”

The Anambra ex-governor lamented the “trust deficit between the leaders and Nigerians” and “search for a credible electoral system that would command the trust, confidence and belief of all Nigerians just like June 12 did.”

Lifestyle, Politics

June 12: Those who cannot endure and accept the pain of defeat in elections do not deserve the joy of victory – Tinubu addresses the nation

No Comments

President Bola Tinubu on Monday, June 12, gave a speech to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the June 12, 1993 presidential poll.

Tinubu who urged Nigerians to sacrifice a little more for the survival of the country, stated that Nigerians must never take democracy for granted as Chief MKO Abiola who won the election sacrificed his life for it.

On the conduct of the 2023 election, Tinubu said those who cannot endure and accept the pain of defeat in elections do not deserve the joy of victory when it is their turn to triumph.

“We have traversed the dark, thorny path of dictatorship before and those who experienced it can readily testify to the unbridgeable gap between the dignity of freedom and the humiliation and degradation of tyranny.

True, rancorous debates, interminable wrangling, ceaseless quarrels, bitter electoral contestations may be perceived by some as unattractive features of democracy. But they also testify to its merit and value.

“This year, we held the seventh in the cycle of elections that have become sacred rituals of our democratic practice in this dispensation since 1999.

“That the polls were intensely contested is in itself positive evidence that democracy is well and alive in our land. It is only natural that even as those who won and experienced victory in the various elections are elated and fulfilled, those who lost are disenchanted and disappointed. But the beauty of democracy is that those who win today can lose tomorrow and those who lose today will have an opportunity to compete and win in the next round of elections.

“Those who cannot endure and accept the pain of defeat in elections do not deserve the joy of victory when it is their turn to triumph. Above all, those who disagree with the outcome of the elections are taking full advantage of the constitutional provisions to seek redress in court and that is one of the reasons why democracy is still the best form of government invented by man.”

Politics

INEC has not been fair to Nigerians in conducting national elections – Jerry Gana

No Comments

Jerry Gana, a former minister of information has said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not been “fair” to Nigerians with the conduct of elections.

Addressing reporters during an interview, Gana also said that INEC has not respected the introduction of modern technology to improve our electoral system.

He said;

“Recently, INEC has not been fair to Nigerians in conducting national elections. Therefore, we have a long way to go in our democracy if we allow this ugly development to continue.

“It is true that we have introduced a lot of modern technology to improve our electoral system but these technologies are not being respected today by INEC.

“To me, it is a major disappointment that INEC was not fair enough to give us the leaders of our choice. After going through the current democratic process, it is my hope that the next one will be better.”

Also commenting on the annulment of the 1993 presidential election, Gana alleged that powerful forces pushed former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, into annuling it.

He said;

“It was a tragic mistake, it should not have happened but since it happened may God help us to get out of it.

“Therefore, we must stay with democracy in order to better Nigeria because it delivers freedom, human rights and a good number of other things.”

World News

Democracy Day- Federal Government declares Monday June 12 public holiday

No Comments

The federal government has declared Monday, June 12, a public holiday in commemoration of the 2023 Democracy Day celebration.

This is contained in a statement by the permanent secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade, on Thursday in Abuja.

Ms Akinlade who made the declaration on behalf of the federal government, congratulated all Nigerians on the occasion.

She said that Nigeria’s democratic journey had, like in many other climes, encountered both stormy and smooth sails, but the ship of state, its institutions and most importantly, Nigerians had remained steadfast on the tenets of democratic governance.

“On this memorable occasion therefore, Nigerians and friends of Nigeria are invited to appreciate the progress that has been made to celebrate the milestones covered and look forward to a better future for the country’s democracy,” she said.

Ms Akinlade, therefore, wished all Nigerians a happy democracy day celebration.

Close Menu

Privacy Policy