June 12: Nigeria Moving In The Right Direction – FG

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, insists democracy is moving in the right direction in Nigeria, saying its uninterrupted democratic experience over the past 27 years has confirmed its commitment to democratic values, freedom of expression and the rule of law.

Addressing a news conference in Abuja yesterday as part of the activities marking Nigeria’s 27th Democracy Day anniversary, he urged political actors to embrace democratic principles, respect electoral outcomes and continue to strengthen the nation’s democratic culture. Akume said: “We have decided to embrace democracy.

That is why, for 27 unbroken years, we have been 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.”

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The SGF defended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying available economic indicators show improvement despite economic hardship and security challenges. He said although inflation and insecurity have remained major concerns, the government’s reforms are beginning to yield results. Akume said: “The government will never claim that every challenge has been solved.

Inflation has been painful, though it is on a downward trend. “Insecurity still threatens lives and livelihoods, but evidence shows that the country is moving in the right direction.”

He said former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, was among the political leaders who agreed to adopt a rotational presidency after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

According to him, the decision to rotate presidential power between the North and the South was reached by leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the aftermath of the June 12 crisis to address the political fallout from the annulment of the election believed to have been won by the late Chief MKO Abiola.

Akume said PDP leaders met in Kaduna, where the issue of power shift dominated discussions. He said: “It was a tough argument before the issue of rotational presidency was agreed on.

At the end, we had to concede. “June 12 annulment had complicated the whole thing. It was finally agreed that we would alternate 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.” The SGF described the June 12, 1993 annulment as a painful setback to the democratic aspirations of Nigerians, noting that the election was judged 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. Akume said: “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.”