Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed concern over Nigeria’s slow progress in fostering political inclusivity and ensuring free and fair elections, warning that the country risks veering toward authoritarianism if urgent reforms are not undertaken.
In a press statement on Monday marking the 64th Independence anniversary, he, however, congratulated Nigerians but also called for a collective effort to secure the democratic ideals envisioned by the nation’s founders.
“Our nation has traversed numerous tumultuous phases, yet the tenacity of patriotic citizens has fortified our resolve as a resilient entity,” the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku stated, acknowledging Nigeria’s long-standing democracy, the longest in the nation’s history.
He lamented that despite these democratic gains, the political landscape remains marred by exclusivity and manipulations that undermine electoral credibility.
“While democracy has anchored our institutions in the principles of the rule of law, we have yet to achieve satisfactory progress in fostering political inclusivity and ensuring elections that are genuinely free and fair,” Atiku remarked.
The former vice president decried the weakening of opposition parties and the growing influence of the ruling party over the electoral process, warning that Nigeria risks sliding into a one-party dictatorship.
He urged political leaders across all affiliations to come together and reclaim Nigeria’s democracy from the hands of those seeking to undermine it.
“Our political milieu has become corrosive; opposition parties languish in weakness, while the ruling party appears to manipulate internal processes to render them ineffectual. Nigeria teeters on the brink of a one-party dictatorship, and it is incumbent upon all politicians and statesmen of integrity to rise and reclaim our democracy from the encroaching shadows of oppression,” he declared.
In what serves as a rallying cry for political reform, the Waziri Adamawa called on leaders to prioritize national interest over personal or partisan gains.
He emphasized that Nigeria’s founders achieved independence through peaceful political activism and stressed the importance of safeguarding those democratic principles.
Atiku appealed for the formation of a credible opposition coalition, capable of challenging the ruling party and offering Nigerians a robust democratic choice in future elections.
“Our founding fathers united under a common cause, championing our independence through peaceful, political activism. What we celebrate today is the fruition of their collective endeavours and those of subsequent generations,” he said, urging the nation’s political class to follow in their footsteps.
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE