Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday urged Lagosians to ensure that the commemoration of another June 12 occasion was marked with a deep reflection of the progress recorded so far in the nation’s democratic experiment, while joining efforts to correct the imperfections yet to be addressed to make the system of government worthwhile.
The governor in a statement, yesterday, to mark Democracy Day said June 12 remained a rallying symbol around which Nigerians’ aspirations for unity, hope, better condition of living and true democratic practices were built.
The hope of creating a better country, Sanwo-Olu charged, must be rekindled by the sacrifices made by past political actors that laid down their lives, especially the late Chief Moshood Abiola, who paid supreme price.
He said the commemoration of the Democracy Day must be a reminder of the importance of joining hands to build the future all citizens desire, without recourse to fanning the embers of ethnicity, religious difference and other dividing fault lines.
The governor stressed that the most pronounced hallmark of the June 12, 1993 elections was the rejection of ethno-religious stereotypes.
This, he said, made the process the most acceptable political process in the nation’s annals.
Sanwo-Olu said: “The challenge before all of us today, as Lagosians and Nigerians, is that June 12 must become a symbol of unity, of hope, of aspiration for a better tomorrow, one built upon true democratic ideals and practices. Democracy Day must be a reminder of the importance of joining hands to build the future we want. Twenty-nine years ago on this day, Nigerians trooped enthusiastically to the polls, defying stereotypes of ethnicity and religion to prove to ourselves and the world that a new Nigeria is possible.’’
