The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) nominee for president in the 2023 elections, has once again expressed concern about attempts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to use deceit to undermine Nigeria’s democracy. He said democracy is threatened by the party’s “snatch, grab and run” strategy of appropriating the mandates of opposing parties.
Through his media adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe, Atiku made a statement on Monday in Abuja. He clarified that the goal of democracy is fundamentally anchored in the multiplicity of ideas rather than only existing in a representative government. Therefore, in order for a system to be considered truly democratic, it must be able to accept dissent and divergent viewpoints. Sadly and unexpectedly, Atiku stated, “We have observed a trend whereby the scope of opposition engagement continues to be narrowed by Nigeria’s ruling party.”
It is becoming more and more clear that Nigeria’s democracy is in poor health, whether it is through the rigged elections that allow opposition parties to operate with blatant impunity or the court cases that follow, where the judiciary openly supports the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). “It becomes increasingly odd that the opposition political parties dominate every state where the courts have rendered contentious rulings. “We are seeing a situation where what the ruling party missed out on Election Day is being delivered to them through the courts, starting in Nassarawa, Kano, Zamfara, and now Plateau State. “These are really concerning indicators that raise doubts about our democracy and jeopardise not only our confidence in the legal and electoral processes.
From Abuja, by John Alechenu Atiku Abubakar,