Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president of Nigeria, has issued a warning about the possibility that Nigeria could turn into a one-party state.
The former vice president said these things on Tuesday while hosting the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria’s (IPAC) national executive committee.
According to the former Vice President, “the project of protecting democracy in our country is not about just one man.
“You have come here today to say that we should cooperate in order to promote democracy.
JUST IN: Labour Party Rejects PEPC Judgement, To Announce Next Move
“But the truth of the matter is that our democracy is fast becoming a one-party system; and, of course, you know that when we have a one party system, we should just forget about democracy.”
In addition, Atiku charged Yabagi Sani, the national president of IPAC, with ensuring that the opposition political parties unite and build a stronger front in order to prevent Nigeria’s democracy from becoming a one-party state.
“We have all seen how the APC is increasingly turning Nigeria into a dictatorship of one party. If we don’t come together to challenge what the ruling party is trying to create, our democracy will suffer for it, and the consequences of it will affect the generations yet unborn,” Atiku said.
His criticism of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) extended to their handling of the nation’s worst-ever general election.
There’ll Be No More Democracy Day Celebration In Southeast – Simon Ekpa Vows
“The Independent National Electoral Commission conducted the worst general election in the country.
“Recently again in the off-season election in three states, INEC doubled down on its disregard for the tenets of our democracy.
“We all can see how INEC declared a result in Kogi State where the total number of votes cast is higher than the total number of accredited voters in one local government.
“We cannot have a healthy democracy in an environment where all INEC does is to deliver the ruling party at all cost.
“That is also why I will urge you all, to appeal to lawmakers of the various opposition parties in the National Assembly to sponsor legislation that will advance the course of the constitutional and electoral reforms agenda that I shared in my recent press conference. The issue of electronic voting must be the urgent priority of the National Assembly because countries that are far less advanced as Nigeria are already doing it.
Presidential Election Tribunal Threatened By Tinubu in Democracy Day Speech – Lawyer
“Until our elections pass the test of transparency through electronic voting, it will be difficult for INEC to regain its credibility, and our democracy will be the first casualty of such a situation,” Atiku noted.
Speaking on behalf of the other IPAC delegates, Yabagi Sani stated that Atiku is a true democratic and a political leader who follows the road of detribalization and nonviolent politics, which is why the group decided to pay the former vice president a courtesy visit.
Despite the obvious flaws in our elections, democracy is still the best kind of government, according to the president of IPAC.
Noting that the former Vice President is the “issue of the democracy in Nigeria,” Yabagi said that as far as he was concerned, “the journey has just begun for Atiku”, assuring that they will be available at any time that he needs them as a group.
Follow us on Facebook
Post Disclaimer
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Anaedo Online or official policies of the Anaedo Online.