Former Lagos State governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) national stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has asked Nigerians to keep and nurture democracy, nor for the sake of democracy but for the sake of the country.
“We must remember that should we fall asleep, there are those who would like nothing better than to take it from us,” he said in his message on the occasion of this year’s Democracy Day and 2nd year of President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Tinubu said Nigerians should remain vigilant and “by doing so ensure a better future and better Nigeria for ourselves and our progeny”.
The statement was issued on Sunday in Lagos by Tinubu Media Office and signed by his Media Adviser, Mr. Tunde Rahman.
In the terse statement, the APC national stalwart said: “Democracy Day and our commemoration of it must be more than an empty ritual. It must add up to more than another reason to have another holiday.
“We, as a people, choose democracy as our preferred form of governance not because it would be easy to achieve or to hold even once we have it. We choose democracy because history has taught us that the welfare of the people is best and perhaps only secured by government responsive and accountable to the people. This can only be democracy.
“Many Nigerians have fought and sacrificed to enshrine democracy as our way of governance. We mark this day in honour of these people many of whom laboured in obscurity and without proper thanks to achieve this precious thing for the nation.
“We mark this day to keep in remembrance that we must not take this good form of government for granted. We must keep and nurture it, not for democracy’s sake but for our own sake. We must remember that should we fall asleep, there are those who would like nothing better than to take it from us. We must remain vigilant and by doing so ensure a better future and better Nigeria for ourselves and our progeny.
“Thus, I congratulate Nigerians on this day. I congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari and urge him and his administration to continue to do all it can to protect and improve our democratic way of life.
“I wish all Nigerians a happy Democracy Day.”
