Time To Return To A Truly Democratic Nation — Peter Obi

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential contender, has urged political figures on the urgency of time to get back to Democratic values.

On Wednesday, June 13, Obi made the call using his verified X handle and stated that democracy was carrying out the duties of responsible governance as outlined in the constitution.

Obi stated, “As our dear nation marks Democracy Day today, commemorating 25 years of striving to be a democratic country, the fundamental question for all of us remains: Are we truly democratic?

“As we build a New Nigeria, these tenets shall be the pillars of our true democracy. It is possible.”

The head of the Labour Party also bemoaned certain ratings, claiming they were proof that the country was not genuinely democratic.

He added, “To further illustrate that we are not truly democratic and have only produced the vices enumerated above, we are now ranked as follows:

“In the measurement of democracy, we have a democracy index score of 4.23, which ranks us low on the Global Democracy Index. In the Corruption Perception Index, we are ranked 145th among the 180 countries measured, showing a high level of corruption in Nigeria.

“In the Rule of Law Measurement, we are ranked 120th out of 142 countries measured in the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, indicating that Nigeria suffers from gross disobedience to the rule of law.

“The 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) describes Nigeria as one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists.

“Nigeria ranks 112th out of 180 countries where journalists are regularly monitored, attacked, and arbitrarily arrested. We are ranked 109th out of 125 countries measured on the Global Hunger Index,” he said.

“Let us, therefore, use the commemoration of June 12 as an occasion to return to a truly democratic nation. We achieved that feat on June 12, 1993, by collectively voting for democracy in Nigeria. We must stand in defence of Nigeria’s democracy today,” he added.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli