A former speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the radical reforms of Nigeria’s electoral process, especially with the introduction of the Bimodal Verification Accreditation System (BVAS) into the election process.
Dogara said Buhari can etch his name in gold as a hero of Nigeria’s democracy if he follows through with the reforms of the nation’s electoral process in 2023.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Turaki Hassan, Dogara, who is also the chancellor of Achievers’ University, Owo, Ondo State, spoke at the 12th convocation of the institution. He said it was a challenge to all Nigerians to ensure that the reforms are implemented in the 2023 general elections.
Dogara charged all Nigerians not to sell their votes or refuse to vote saying, “Remember that the power is in your vote and your vote is your future. Therefore, don’t sell it and don’t keep it in your room, you must use it. Participate by coming out massively to vote for your conscience.”
To the graduating students, he said, “You have your dreams and I am sure your dreams are clear. I enjoin you to pursue your dreams without fears. The environment seems very tough but I know very well that when it is tough, it is the tough that gets going. Achievers University project is a good example that you can still achieve your goals with strong determination and grace of God. I counsel you to key into that grace by being diligent in whatever you do and pursue your goals with a high sense of integrity and fear of God. You may fail, by your own definition of failure, in one or two endeavours but I dare say to you there is nothing like failure – if there is any, it is always a lesson and an opportunity to begin afresh with the full benefits of the wisdom the failure has taught you and thereby avoiding the mistakes of the past. Success is sure, if you don’t give in or give up.
“We cannot look away as stakeholders in the Nigeria project, it is therefore imperative that we have a voice in moving the Nation forward. I wish to strongly appeal to you and other Nigerians to have faith in Nigeria. Whatever challenges we are facing today shall definitely become history. Other great Nations of the world today had passed through their moments of great difficulty and challenges too. No difficulty can be compared with a War situation. I am glad we survived the civil war and here we are as a Nation. This period will soon pass away and we shall come out stronger.
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