Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that the Tinubu -led administration would support free and fair election, fight corruption and improve national cohesion.
Shettima stated this on Monday, at the National Conference On Strengthening Democracy In Nigeria, held in Abuja.
Represented by his Special Adviser on political issues, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the he noted that there was a huge responsibility on the shoulders of elected leaders in Nigeria to market democracy in terms of the quality of governance and their conduct and disposition towards the rule of law and respect for the welfare and security of citizens.
“Nigerian democracy must mean a lot more than asking Nigerians to line up every four years to elect leaders. It must mean, in practical terms, that leaders commit to the demands of elected leadership in very transparent manners, that mandates given to them to govern make them servants to interests of the people, custodians of their assets, and protectors of their interests”, he said.
Shettima continued, “It has been said many times that democracy is an imperfect system, yet superior to all others. We will continue to seek to provide evidence of the values of the democratic systems by, among others, fixing major weaknesses of our economy, securing our communities, fighting corruption, supporting free and fair elections, strengthening the independence of the judiciary and improving national cohesion”.
Delivering his keynote address, former Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia noted that the increasing fragility of democracy in Africa and across the world was cause for concern.
Bawumia stated, “deepening and sustaining our democracy will require that citizens step up to the plate and show a greater voice. A voice that is long on policy coherence and strengthening systems; and a voice that is short on rhetoric and plain partisan verbiage.
“In that way, we can hold political office holders accountable for their actions and teleguide governance efforts towards strengthening and consolidating democratic governance”.
He recalled that at the sub-regional level, Nigeria played a father figure role in economic support and diplomacy, peacekeeping, and restoring democracy in some instances. Therefore, “it is expected that the steady progress being made in democratic governance will be strengthened and sustained. We therefore need to work assiduously to strengthen democracy by staying true to its prerequisites”.
According to him, democracy remained the preferred form of governance that can guarantee individual liberties and rights, despite its imperfections.
“The best democracy is the one that delivers public goods and services effectively and efficiently and creates opportunities for citizens whilst making conscious efforts to leave no one behind.
“For Nigeria, and indeed much of Sub-Saharan Africa, our work is cut out for us. We need to take decisive actions to demonstrate that to govern is to advance the interest and welfare of the people. We need to reconfigure our economic systems, processes, and institutions in a manner that prioritizes the next meal for majority of our people.
“For our democracy to remain relevant and sustainable, actors need to ensure that citizens have confidence in the democratic system to address their needs and concerns, particularly basic needs”, Bawumia said. Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development, Dr. Otive Igbuzor disclosed that the purpose of the conference laid in a vision for a democracy that is genuine, resilient, and inclusive.
“As many of us know, Nigeria’s democratic journey, though spanning 25 years of uninterrupted civilian rule, is beset by structural and functional flaws. These range from electoral malpractices, ineffective political parties, and weakened governance structures to pervasive corruption and a concerning erosion of public trust.
“Despite decades of democratic practice, the realities faced by Nigerians today often reflect disillusionment rather than hope. The goal of this conference, therefore, is to reignite hope, rebuild trust, and lay out a road map toward a strengthened democratic system that serves all Nigerians with integrity and accountability.
“For too long, the political landscape in Nigeria has been dominated by elite cliques, leaving citizens feeling alienated from the governance processes that directly impact their lives. Our aim through this conference is to initiate reform efforts that will strengthen our electoral process and ensure that our leadership selection process is credible”, he said.
The theme of the two -day conference is “Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Pathway To Good Governance And Political Integrity”.
