KEY POINTS
- If reforms do not take place, Nigeria could potentially lose its democratic system according to Atiku.
- The opposition needs to unite according to El-Rufai as he critiques APC’s governance failures.
- The goverment continues to guarantee its dedication toward strengthening democracy.
Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar warns that Nigeria’s democratic system faces extinction based on its present political direction.
Atiku spoke at the national conference about democratic strengthening in Abuja where he described the worsening collapse of democratic values through cases such as electoral judicial interference alongside claims of political government involvement against opposition parties.
Our democratic experiment currently stands at a crucial decision point. The preservation of democracy depends on our determination toward it because we stand at risk of losing it entirely according to Atiku’s warning.
The decision-making power over electoral results should belong to political parties and voters instead of the courts according to Paul Okonjo Iweala.
The leader stated that Nigerian ruling groups distributed ₦50 million in bribes to opposition members to weaken democracy even further. A battle to preserve democracy begins right now or it might vanish forever he declared while advocating urgent institution and process reforms.
Calls for opposition unity
Atiku’s warning about democracy converged with Kaduna State’s ex-governor Nasir El-Rufai who called it a “national emergency.” El-Rufai emphasized opposition parties should unite against each other because democratic governance needed defense against threats.
The destructive targeting of opposition political organizations remains dangerously alarming. He said “to protect democracy opposition parties must unite into one united strong front.”
El-Rufai criticized the APC’s leading role because he believed that the party had left behind its fundamental values. According to El-Rufai “The party that founded APC with progressive ideals has effectively abandoned its core values.” It’s become a zero-man show.”
When speaking as former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi noted that power typically does not come without a cost to someone while arguing Nigerians should protect their democratic freedoms proactively.
Vice president’s perspective
During the event Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed served as a representative for Vice President Kashim Shettima to defend the democratic approach of the administration.
Vice President Shettima acknowledged democratc governance’s shortcomings then defended its advantages over all other political frameworks.
The system of democracy delivers imperfect solutions but continues to represent the optimum available framework. Shettima stated “We are committed to fixing weaknesses” while aiming to secure “communities” and strengthen “democratic institutions” thus he urged Nigerians to stay patient through the democratic process.
