Democracy Day is now June 12 in Federal Republic of Nigeria, And just not an ordinary National public holiday in Nigeria.
It was held annually on May 29th. Democracy Day marks the day the military handed over power to an elected civilian government in 1999, marking the beginning of the longest continuous civilian rule since Nigeria’s independence from colonial rule in 1960. It is a tradition that has been held annually, beginning in the year 2000.
June 12 was formerly known as Abiola Day, celebrated in Lagos, Nigeria and some south western states of Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Democracy Day is a general public day to commemorate the restoration of democracy in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. May 29th was initially the official democracy day in Nigeria, marking when the newly elected Olusegun Obasanjo took office as the President of Nigeria in 1999, ending multiple decades of military rule that began in 1966 and had been interrupted only by a brief period of democracy from 1979 to 1983.
On June 6, 2018, eight days after May 29, 2018 had been celebrated as Democracy Day, the President Buhari-led Federal Government of Nigeria declared June 12 to be the new Democracy day.
These were done to commemorate the democratic election of MKO Abiola on June 12, 1993, in what has been adjudged to be Nigeria’s most free and fairest election. It was however, cancelled by the Ibrahim Babangida. MKO Abiola was later detained after he declared himself the President.
Democracy Day should be viewed as an attempt to placate the South Western Nigerian State, which has always set aside the day to remember Abiola’s stolen mandate and an annulled election that many still view as the country’s most free and fairest election in the history of Nigeria and democracy.
We should value democracy because democracy is of the people, by the people and for the people. It also allows us to express our views to the government. It gives right to equality to all citizens.
Values of democracy key elements!
A political system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections, the active participation of the people, as citizens, in politics and civic life, protection of the human rights of all citizens.
These are the key features of democracy:
Rule of law.
Fundamental rights.
Right to vote.
Right to contest elections.
Free and fair elections.
Separation of Powers.
Independent Judiciary.
Elected Representatives.
Characteristics of a Democracy.
Citizen Rule – A democratic government grants adult citizens the right to elect their representatives.
Majority Rule and Minority Rights – The principle of majority rule is an important part of the democratic system.
Individual Rights.
Free and Fair Elections.
Citizen Participation.
Cooperation and Compromise.
How do you understand democracy?
Democracy is a form of government in which the people have the authority to choose their governing legislation.
How does democracy affect the people?
Democracy is associated with higher human capital accumulation, lower inflation, lower political instability, and higher economic freedom. Democracy is closely tied with economic sources of growth, like education levels and lifespan through improvement of educative institutions as well as healthcare.
Why is it important to participate in Democracy?
It is democratic because the people govern themselves, and it is a republic because the government’s power is derived from its people. This means that our government – federal, state, and local – is elected by the citizens. Voting is one important way that we can participate in our democracy.
How does democracy benefit the individual?
Individual citizens should vote and participate in the political process, for example, through political parties and civil society organizations. Such policies provide a framework that allows individual citizens to participate fully in the political process and to claim their fair share of economic opportunity.
The 3 types of Democracy.
Consensus democracy – Rule based on consensus rather than traditional majority rule.
Constitutional democracy – Governed by a constitution.
Deliberative democracy – In which authentic deliberation, not only voting, is central to legitimate decision making.
Who has the power of democracy? Our government is elected by citizens. Here, citizens vote for their government officials. These officials represent the citizens’ ideas and concerns in government. Voting is one way to participate in our democracy, it’s clearly shows the voter owns the power of democracy.
Examples of democratic values:
Freedom of election and being elected.
Freedom of assembly and political participation.
Freedom of speech, expression and religious belief.
Rule of law and other basic human rights.
Why is it important to participate?
Participation: This has an intrinsic value for participants, it’s a catalyst for further development, encourages a sense of responsibility, guarantees that a felt need is involved, ensures things are done the right way, uses valuable indigenous knowledge, frees people from dependence on others’ skills and makes people more.
Basically our country need democracy for the proper functioning of the government. Because democracy itself says that it is a system of government in which the citizens power directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body, such as a parliament.
REVALIDATION OF HON. ONAMADE AGENDA TOWARDS IJEDE LCDA, IKORODU.
Democracy Day is now June 12 in Federal Republic of Nigeria, And just not an ordinary National public holiday in Nigeria.
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