The Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Garba Abari says democracy remains the best form of government for Nigeria, given the nation’s unique composition, history and international relevance.
Abari stated this position in a congratulatory message to Nigerians on the 2017 Democracy Day which marks 18 years of unbroken democratic governance in Nigeria.
He said: “This year’s Democracy Day is symbolic based on the fact that young Nigerians who were only born when we returned to democratic governance have now turned 18 and have therefore come of age to participate fully in the democratic processes of our nation. Therefore, our concern at this time should be to deepen such acceptable societal values and advance such principles of governance that will not only enable our great nation further assert itself as the leader of a free African continent where rights and freedoms are sacrosanct but also ensure that we bequeath to our future generations the best form of governance. Only democracy can guarantee that”.
Abari further urged Nigerians to use the 2017 Democracy Day to recommit themselves to their civic duty of participating fully in electoral processes because free and fair elections are the foundations of any true democracy. He therefore urged Nigerians of 18 years and above who do not yet possess a Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to take advantage of the on-going Continuous Voter Registration exercise across the country to register and obtain their PVCs.