Acting National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Senator Nenadi Usman on Thursday regretted that the country’s democracy remains a mockery despite sacrifices made to rescue the country from military dictatorship.
Usman who was represented by the Senior Special Adviser, media, Ken Asogwa, regretted that elections in the country are disconnected from the real will of the people.
While calling on Nigerians, especially the youths to take necessary actions to rescue the process, the acting national chairman stressed that “As long as Nigerians cannot freely and confidently choose their leaders without interference or intimidation, the spirit of June 12 cannot rest…”
She added, “The bitter truth remains that our democracy often mocks its own name. We have made progress in some areas, but the heart of democracy, free, fair, and credible elections; the rule of law; accountable governance still suffers under the weight of manipulation, impunity, and elite capture. Institutions that should defend the people have been weakened.”
She said this while addressing a summit in Abuja tagged “Attracting Diaspora Investment, Pulling Nigeria Out of Poverty, and Transforming into a Global Economic Power.”
According to Senator Usman, the summit was apt as the country stood at crossroads with one path leading to deepening poverty, rising insecurity, and global irrelevance, while the other leads to a new prosperous, inclusive, and a Nigeria respected across the world.
Her speech read in part, “I stand before you today, not only as the Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party but as a fellow Nigerian who carries the deep weight of our shared history, our present challenges, and our collective hopes for the future.
“Today, as we mark Democracy Day, we honor the sacrifices of heroes and heroines who, thirty-two years ago, defied oppression and dared to dream of a Nigeria where the people would be the true sovereign. We remember Chief MKO Abiola, whose blood, like that of many others, watered the fragile seed of our democracy.
“But as we gather here in Abuja to engage on the future of Nigeria, let us ask with clear eyes and honest hearts: Is this the democracy they died for?
“Our young people are not the leaders of tomorrow, you are the leaders of now. The energy, innovation, and resilience of Nigeria’s youth are our greatest untapped assets. Across technology, agriculture, manufacturing, entertainment, and digital enterprise, Nigerian youths are already building global brands from local ideas. But they cannot do it alone. They need an enabling environment:
“A stable and transparent political system that protects investments and rewards merit. Functional infrastructure: electricity that works, roads that connect, ports that facilitate trade, and broadband that powers innovation. Security that protects lives and property, allowing enterprise to flourish.
“A reformed financial system that allows access to capital, especially for start-ups and small businesses.
“Our diaspora community, successful, skilled, and deeply committed to Nigeria’s progress is eager to invest, transfer knowledge, and build bridges. But they too are watching. Without political stability, without credible governance, without the rule of law, diaspora investment will remain cautious.
“The Labour Party believes profoundly in building this New Nigeria where the government is accountable, where leaders emerge through the clear voice of the people, where youth are empowered to create wealth, and where Nigeria rises from being a land of potential to a true global economic power.
Let me say this to the youths gathered here today: the struggle for economic transformation is inseparable from the struggle for democratic consolidation. We cannot have one without the other. If we are to attract global investments, we must first invest in the integrity of our democracy.”
The labour party acting national chairman further cautioned against reducing the June 12 occasion to a mere ceremony, insisting “let us make it a living call to action, for free and fair elections, for transparent leadership, for policies that lift our people from poverty and create shared prosperity.
“In closing, I urge all stakeholders, government, private sector, diaspora, civil society, and most importantly, you the youth, to embrace this sacred duty. Nigeria’s destiny will not be written by others; it will be written by us.
The New Nigeria we seek is possible. And it begins with the courage to demand and to build a democracy that works, an economy that delivers, and a nation that honors the sacrifices of June 12 not in words alone, but in action.”
