Atiku, Obi seek transparent elections

Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, says for democracy in Nigeria to come of age, incumbent political officeholders must stop influencing election outcomes.

In his Democracy Day message on Sunday, Atiku said political leaders must be committed to the principles of fairness in election conduct, to avoid a dictatorship society.

The former PDP presidential candidate said his observation of how democracy is run in Nigeria has convinced him that “a lot of work still lies ahead”.

“On this occasion of Democracy Day, it is time for us to reflect as a people and a country on our journey to becoming a democratic society.

“For Nigerians who were around during the dark days of military dictatorships, it is important that we appreciate the successes that we have achieved in making democracy the norm of politics in Nigeria.”

Similarly, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi has urged Nigerians to let the spirit of June 12, being celebrated as Democracy Day, inspire them to correct the “errors of February 25, 2023, as the surest root to restoring and deepening our democracy”.

Obi in a Democracy Day message to Nigerians said: “The challenge of June 12 and a dedicated Democracy Day is to inspire us to correct the errors of our recent elections. He added: “This is the surest way to restore the confidence of our people in the future of our nation and the promise of true democracy.”

He described June 12 as “a historic day that deserved to be celebrated, noting that “on that day in 1993, we the people of Nigeria stated our unreserved preference for true democracy.