Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said following the rancorous-free presidential primaries, democracy in the country is growing.
He stated this yesterday at the 2022 Democracy Day Inter-Denominational church service in Abuja .
Osinbajo who was represented by the secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha, said Nigerians had always risen to the occasion when it mattered most.
According to him, Nigerians rose to the occasion when colonial powers subjugated the people and lorded over the resources.
He said Nigerians rose to the occasion following the ravages of a civil war to rebuild a united country no matter how imperfect.
He said, “We rose to the occasion when enduring military dictatorships pushed us to the edge of extinction and negotiated our way into a democracy that provides a platform for us to build a country we can all be proud of.
“And we have come this far because of all of us, from the North to the South. Our democracy was hard won by Nigerians from the trenches of the six geo-political zones. Our struggle for a better country has always been de-tribalized.
“It is important to note that our commemoration of Democracy Day was recently moved from May 29 to June 12 by a President from the North in honour of a political leader from the South.
“Democracy works, all the more so in a heterogeneous union like ours, through negotiations and compromises carried out in good faith. And each year brings us closer to a more perfect union, a more mature democracy.
“In 2015, this administration became the first administration in the history of our country to take over governance from a sitting president in a smooth transition.
“In the last couple of weeks, party primaries have been held by political parties big and small and across the country, without violence, rancour or the prevalence of bitter court cases as have characterized the process in times past. We are growing.”
He said the social contract between the government and the people with the ballot as arbiter is daily being strengthened.
“The combined effort of the government, the people and civil society across the federation are bringing us closer to our highest democratic ideals and aspirations.
“So, this is a day for gratitude and hope. A day to remind ourselves that what was once thought impossible of Nigeria has been proven possible, and that what is yet considered so is well within our grasp. We only have to keep moving forward, each one of us playing our part,” he added.
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