In Nigeria, Democracy Day is a public holiday held on May 29 of every year.
The essence of this public holiday is to commemorate the restoration of democracy in the Federal Republic of Nigeria which started when Olusegun Obasanjo was elected into office as the President of Nigeria in May 1999 after years of military rule.
According to Abraham Lincoln, Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. Nigeria has once experienced this between between 1979 and 1983 but was short lived. Democracy in Nigeria took full fledge in the year 1999 when the then Military head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar promised a transition to democracy, and accordingly a new constitution was adopted on May 5th, 1999.
A democratic rule would ever be preferred to an autocratic one like that of military rule. During the era of military rulership in Nigeria, things were hard, dictatorship was the order of the day, no one could challenge their authority, no freedom of speech, press and many human rights were outrightly denied.
This shouldn't be; people cried.
After years of tumultuous british colonization of Nigeria, the independence fought for by our past heroes seems like a mirage when military rule follows. People moved from one hardship to another and to some the wish the white continue to govern us in place of the military.
"Weeping may last for the Night but Joy comes in the morning" says the bible. The years of military arbitrary rule came and gone and now Nigeria celebrates civilian rule under which is DEMOCRACY.
The end of military rule brought about a new era of regular elections as well as the return of civil freedom, free press and an end to arbitrary arrests and torture, although human rights violations still occur regularly. Nigeria also began a long campaign against the bureaucratic and military corruption that had paralyzed its economy and severely tarnished its international reputation.
In the mood of the celebration, i felicitate with the other Nigerians for another year of Democratic rule at play.
According to this year theme of the celebration "Peacebuilding and good governance for sustainable development", let us all see to the peace coexistence of all and sundry and works towards a sustainable democracy and development of our dear fatherland, Nigeria
HAPPY DEMOCRACY DAY NIGERIA!!!
#iLOVENIGERIA
amANIGERIAN