Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has stated that Nigeria is yet to have a genuinely free and fair election, 64 years after independence.
Atiku, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, disclosed this in an Independence Day message to Nigerians on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
According to him, “Our nation has traversed numerous tumultuous phases, yet the tenacity of patriotic citizens, bolstered by the solidarity of our international allies, has fortified our resolve as a resilient entity.
On this day, as we mark 64 years of nationhood, we take pride in the enduring establishment of democracy in Nigeria, highlighted by the longest period of democratic governance in our history.
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.
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.
Our political milieu has become corrosive, opposition parties languish in weakness, while the ruling party appears to manip¥late 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.”
