Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar, has said that Nigeria’s democracy is not yet virile if it cannot deliver prosperity and liberty to the people.
Atiku said this in a statement posted on his verified X handle on Wednesday, to commemorate the Democracy Day.
“Whereas our current democratic dispensation is a quarter of a century old, it will not be out of place to pay tributes to the sacrifices made by many patriots, chiefly among them Basorun MKO Abiola and his beloved wife, Alhaja (Mrs) Kudirat Abiola, Tafida Shehu Yar’Adua and Alfred Rewane, among many others.
“It is important that all stakeholders continue to do their bit to ensure the sustainability of our democracy.
“But our democracy is not yet virile if it continually fails to deliver the promises of prosperity and liberty to the people,” he stated.
According to the former vice president, the historical timeline of the struggle that birthed democracy in Nigeria includes a series of coalitions and alliances amongst the political leaderships of that era to flush away the vestiges of military and dictatorial governance in order to return power to the people.
He noted that it is commendable that for 25 years, the country had witnessed an uninterrupted season of electoral politics, stressing that it was an unprecedented epoch in the nation’s history.
Atiku added that democracy is worthy of celebration and commendation.
June 12: It’s not democracy if it can’t deliver prosperity – Atiku