Democracy without fairness, rule of law in conducting elections, still dictatorship – Atiku

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in commemoration of June 12 anniversary, emphasized that democracy without commitment to the principles of fairness and fidelity to the rule of play by stakeholders in the process of conducting elections still leaves the people prostrate to tendencies of dictatorship.
Apparently, Atiku noted that as Nigeria is making progress with democracy as a system of civil government, the rule of law is yet to prevail in the electoral process.
Atiku in his Message to Nigerians on Democracy Day 2023, expressed that it is time to reflect as a people and a country on the journey to becoming a democratic society.
He stated that for Nigerians who were around during the dark days of military dictatorships, it is important that people appreciate the successes that have achieved in making democracy the norm of politics in Nigeria. He was of the view that the governing elite should desist from determining the outcome of elections if democracy is to attain its full meaning in Nigeria.
Atiku, however, lamented: “But 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.”
He stated: “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.”
Atiku articulated that democracy and the process of democratization is a constant work in progress.
He declared: “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.”
Atiku’s statement read:
My Message To Nigerians On Democracy Day 2023

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 the processes of conducting elections still leaves the people prostrate to tendencies of dictatorship.
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 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 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.

Signed:
Atiku Abubakar
Vice President of Nigeria (1999-2007) and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party