By Mike Jones
ASABA/Nigeria: Political Parties in the country had been called to imbibe the institution of internal party democracy in their activities, as such will help deepen the conduct of free and fair elections in the country.
The statement was made in a press release to mark the 2018 anniversary of the annulment in Asaba on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, by a House of Assembly hopeful in Delta State, Engr Chukwumah Ugbomah have who used the occasion to sue for free and fair elections in Nigeria.
The occasion of the celebration of the 25 anniversary of the 1993 national election, popularly known as June 12, which was presumed to have been won by the Late MKO Abiola under the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and was cancelled by the then Maximum ruler, President Ibrahim Babangida.
has been used to call for a free and fair elections, and the institution of internal party democracy, as that election was adjudged the best election ever held in Nigeria.
Engr. Ugbomah, who expressed his support for the Federal Government decision to immortalise June 12 as the new Democracy Day, said such move had been viewed as a right step in the right direction, but the it will make more sense if future elections would not only be free and fair, the institution of internal party democracy within the various political parties in the country.
“This move is viewed by myself and other unrepentant democrats as a right step in the right direction. My reason for supporting this move is not farfetched. I strongly believe that by restoring June 12, we send a clear signal of our readiness to positively rewrite our history by assuring ourselves and the rest of the world that from this day, votes of the Nigerian electorates would count.”
The statement further stated that the June 12 should not be taking for just what it stands for, but rather it denotes the collective quest by Nigerians for freedom, from all form of autocratic form of leadership in the country.
“June 12 is also emblematic of our collective quest for freedom. Freedom from military autocracy, freedom from coercion and despotism, freedom even from the internal enemies of this country”.
The House of Assembly aspirant stated that posthumously honouring of the acclaimed winner of the election with the highest honour in Nigeria, is a good one, as no system develops a nation faster than that which reflects in totality the will of the people.”
“By elevating the acclaimed winner of the June 12 election to the highest cadre of national honour posthumously, we have again reassured our people that there is a coming order that will respect the wish of the people in a free, fair and credible contest. No other system develops a nation faster than that which reflects in totality the will of the people.”
Engr. Ugbomah, who is an apostle of free and fair election, stated that no reason should ever make any leader truncate a process that was adjudged credible.
“No reason should ever make any leader truncate a process that was adjudged credible. I call on our people from Ndokwa East, Delta and Nigeria in general to again have faith in the system. I equally admonish those in positions of authority to ensure that the mistakes that turned the joys of June 12 1993, to sorrow is never repeated again at any level of our polity. Let the people decide. Let the votes count.” He concluded.
