Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo says true democracy is possible in Nigeria and that the country also has the capacity to build a culture of democratization.
He adds that with strengthened and independent institutions, a democratic system will empower the country to effectively manage the contradictions and challenges in the system.
In a keynote address he delivered at the international conference on “Deepening Democratic Culture and Institutions for Sustainable Development and Security in Nigeria” the former president warns that except Nigeria retraces its political steps in the right direction, the current democratic process will either not produce the right leaders or leave so many broken blocks on the path of governance and attract resources and energy from the task of rebuilding Nigeria and consolidating on its democratic practice.
Among those that attended the conference in Rivers State were academics, politicians, policymakers, and professionals
Leading the pack was former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo
They were in town to rub minds on how to consolidate and deepen democracy in Nigeria.
The two-day conference is also seen as a timely exercise, especially given the fact that the next general election is just around the corner.
The conference, therefore, offers another opportunity for stakeholders to discuss issues affecting the country’s quest for democracy, good governance, security, and sustainable development in Nigeria.
Having led Nigeria first as a military head of state and later as a democratically elected president, Olusegun Obasanjo says even though the country’s democracy has gone through a lot of twists and turns, the best of its history has been the sustenance of democracy since the transfer of power to an elected government in 1999.
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With the 2023 general elections just a month away, the former president says everything must be done to ensure that a better Nigeria emerges from the process.
The conference also witnessed the presentation of a book titled Bridging Rivers.
It showcases the enormous achievements, transformation, and infrastructural development Rivers State has enjoyed in the last seven and a half years under the Nyesom Wike administration
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
