By Miriam Humbe
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has said that Nigeria has embraced democracy which has come to stay.
He said: “That is why, for 27 broken years, we are enjoying this freedom in a democratic setting. We love the values and the morals of democracy, and there is no system that is as beautiful as democracy”.
Senator Akume was speaking on Tuesday while responding to questions during the World Press Conference held in Abuja as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 27th Democracy Day Anniversary.
Yomi Odunuga, Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to Secretary to the Government of the Federation disclosed this in a statement signed on Tuesday.
The SGF recalled that the annulment of the June 12 election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest election in Nigeria’s history and won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, necessitated far-reaching political decisions aimed at preserving national unity and strengthening the country’s democratic foundation.
He said that leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) met in Kaduna under the leadership of the late Chief Solomon Lar and Alhaji Adamu Ciroma to deliberate on the way forward, with power shift and the party’s presidential candidature featuring prominently on the agenda.
“It was a tough argument before the issue of rotational presidency was agreed on.
“At the end, we had to concede. We must do this. June 12 annulment had complicated the whole thing. It was finally agreed that we’ll be alternating between North and South.
“Atiku was one of the leaders at that meeting, which was convened by Chief Solomon Lar. He was part of that agreement,” Senator Akume said.
The SGF explained that the decision to alternate presidential power between the North and the South emerged from the need to address the political consequences of the June 12 annulment and to promote inclusiveness and national cohesion.
Reflecting on the significance of June 12, Senator Akume described the annulment as a painful setback to the democratic aspirations of Nigerians, noting that the election was adjudged free, fair and credible.
“Abiola won that election round and square. That election was annulled by the military government. It was very painful because the people spoke and they spoke freely. They made their own choice,” he said.
He added that one of the most enduring lessons from the June 12 experience is the supremacy of the people’s will in a democratic society.
“The first lesson is that the voice of the people must always be supreme; it must be sacrosanct. That’s the beauty of democracy. We prefer the ballot to bullets,” he said.
Senator Akume expressed confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying the country has learnt valuable lessons from the events of 1993 and would never allow a repeat of such an annulment.
“If an election is conducted very fairly, and one wins no problem. The actors at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are not young people, they were adults when this thing happened.
“If we were to take a poll at that time, over two thirds of Nigerians would have condemned that act of annulment.
“Fortunately, for us, those at INEC are men of honour and integrity, they are well read that patriotic Nigerians, and they’re determined to also make a difference. Never again would such happen in this country.
“You win, you win. When you lose, go back and prepare for another election. Look at the American example. President Trump lost to Joe Biden. He didn’t bring America down.
He went back prepared and came back and won. That’s the beauty of democracy.
“It is under a democratic system that you can insult your president and to insult anybody and still go to bed, and you don’t receive a midnight knock on your door. Try it under a totalitarian regime.” Akume said.
He urged political actors to embrace democratic principles, respect electoral outcomes and continue to strengthen the nation’s democratic culture.
The SGF further said that Nigeria’s 27 years of uninterrupted democratic rule underscore the country’s commitment to democratic values, freedom of expression, the rule of law and peaceful political participation.
