Senate President, Ahmed Lawan has congratulated Nigerians on the occasion of the Democracy Day. “This day has a tremendous significance for Nigerians who struggled so valiantly to establish democracy in their beloved country and have vigilantly nurtured it with their tireless participation in the democratic process,” he said in a statement.
He admitted that the nation is celebrating Democracy Day amidst serious national challenges on the socio-political and economic fronts. But he expressed optimism that the challenges would birth national progress. We are not where we want to be yet in our democratic march but we are also not where we started. There will always remain much work to be done in democratic consolidation and nation-building. We should therefore never despair or contemplate a return to the undemocratic past that had cost us so much toil and blood to escape from. As we march ahead on the journey, let us respect our diversity and use it to produce the harmony that makes democracy the best form of government yet invented by man.
“Let us use the democratic mechanisms available to us such as the periodic review of the constitution to pursue the Nigeria of our dreams.
“We have reached an advanced stage in the constitution review exercise. Our Committees at the Senate and House of Representatives are collating the views and submissions by Nigerians from across the country. The final report is now being expected and we hope to debate the recommendations and take a vote on them before we proceed on our annual vacation in July.
“We are also set to pass the Electoral Act amendment Bill this June. This Bill contains provisions that address identified deficiencies in our electoral process so that we can sustain the progress that is being made in the system under the Fourth Republic.”