A former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr Olisa Agbakoba, has called on Nigerians to remain committed to democracy.
He made the call in a statement on Friday, two days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared President Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the just concluded election.
“I feel strongly called upon to reach out to my brothers and sisters on the state of our democracy,” the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said in the statement.
He added, “Democracy has always been about majority rule and when there is the emergence of an “unpopular choice”, it leaves many people aggrieved and dissatisfied.”
READ ALSO: Going To Tribunal Is ‘Not The Right Decision’, Agbakoba Tells Atiku
According to Agbakoba, the concluded elections which saw some lawmakers retaining their seats and others displaced have given credence to his assertions.
He, thereafter, appealed to Nigerians to join him in the struggle to strengthen democracy in the country for the benefit of its people and the coming generations.
The SAN said, “I strongly believe that there is hope for us as a people and as a nation. We have a collective duty to perfect our democracy so it always produces the popular choice.
“I have worked all my life to enthrone democracy and I am committed to perfecting it.”
“I enjoin us as citizens to continue to hold government accountable and continue to advocate for the strengthening of our institutions, restructuring of our system of governance and upholding of the rule of law. Only then can we make progress as a nation,” he added.
“In the meantime, I leave you with the words of (US) President Franklin D. Roosevelt, “This great nation will endure as it has always endured, our hopes will be revived again and our nation will prosper.”
