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By Sunday Ani
The Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini has described the celebration of 2022 Democracy Day which coincides with another electoral cycle as a reminder of the heavy price Chief MKO Abiola paid in defence of democracy and rule of law in Nigeria.
He said the celebration is also an opportunity to profess commitment to a governance framework that assures citizens of their individual and collective wellbeing through accountable representation.
In a democracy message signed by Igini himself and made available to the Daily Sun, the electoral umpire stressed that to sustain such commitment and obviate the growing despair and apathy that is pushing the nation towards anomie, elected and electable citizens who offer themselves for public office should use the opportunity of the celebration to reflect on the twin and fundamental elements of democratic representation, which includes authorisation and accountability.
“To be truly a democratic representative, public elected officials must subject themselves to free and unfettered election by the citizens they represent, granting them powers to make decisions on their behalf through election, which is the notion of authorisation.
“Election remains the principal instrument that compels political actors to pay attention to citizens, so they must be accountable to those who elected them. They must give account of the end that justifies the exercise of power periodically. Accountability is the ability of the law and citizens to make elected and appointed public officials responsive to their needs, answerable for their actions and subject to enforceability of the law over their shortcomings,” he said.
He noted that democracy decays when the society develops or fosters individuals that longer possess the core elements of authorization and accountability. “Such democratic governance becomes nothing but mere representatives wherein the people have no representation. May this Democracy Day celebration be an opportunity for all to recommit to restoring proper democratic representation to Nigeria, so that we can all build a society based on justice for all and responsibility from all,” he submitted.
