June 12: Don’t Lose Sight Of Democratic Gains, Gov AbdulRazaq Urges Nigerians

The Kwara State governor who is also the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Thursday, urged Nigerians not to lose sight of the gains of democratic rule in the country.

In a message to commemorate Democracy Day on June 12, AbdulRazaq noted that despite its challenges, the nation has achieved measurable and scalable achievements in critical infrastructure, indices of soft power, and other areas of human advancement.

“I join Nigerians to reflect on our Democratic journey as a nation-state. This day is a tribute to the men and women who lent their voices to the struggle for democracy when it was impolitic to do so. It is a remembrance of the ultimate sacrifice of those who lost their lives.

“The feature that stands out in a democracy — whether established or evolving — is that it allows for robust engagements among different stakeholders to forge the way forward at all times. To the credit of all, as attested to by the divergent views of citizens on various topics, our democracy stands shoulder-high in this regard.

“Notwithstanding our developmental challenges, I hold the view that behind our search for a better society are measurable and scalable achievements so far in critical infrastructure, indices of soft power, and other areas of human advancement.

“We should not lose sight of these gains or do anything to undermine them in any way, even as we work together as a people to build a stronger nation,” AbdulRazaq said.

He congratulated President Bola Tinubu, the leadership of the National Assembly, the bench and the bar, the media, and the citizens in the civic space, “whose contributions to democratic engagements are an important component of our journey.”