True Democracy Is When Leaders Are Transparent To Followers – Amadi

The Director, Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Professor Sam Amadi, says true democracy is when leaders are accountable and transparent to their followers.

Dr. Amadi stated this while delivering a lecture at the Labour Party’s June 12 democracy anniversary in Abuja.

He emphasized that opinions of every Nigerian in nation building is vital, hence the need for accountability from the leaders.

“If they want to change the national anthem, they will ask your views, if there are important things to do at the grassroots they ask people’s opinions to generate feed back” he emphasized.

Prof Amadi went further to state that the major problem bedevilling the nation is the issue of elections, which needed to be resolved to enable Nigerians have confidence in the process of the nation’s elections.

Amadi who said transparent electoral process would be guaranteed when the transparency associated with the recent South African election dominates the process, added that Nigerians should demand from the Independent National Electoral Commission what it has done with the money it received to conduct the 2023 election.

The guest speaker who said he cannot join the call for more funding of an institution which did not justify the stupendous funding it got to conduct the 2023 election and has yet accounted for it challenged the Labour Party Caucus of the National Assembly to champion the call for the interrogation of the Independent National Electoral Commission to explain to Nigerians how the huge funds allocated to her for the 2023 election ended in controversy.

He maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was accountable to the Nigerian people and it must account for how it deployed public funds for the 2023 elections.

Amadi who said an election result should announce itself in a transparent process said any judge who says that electronic voting of the 2023 election was not critical to the process was wrong.

“The 2023 General election is the most shambolic elections ever conducted in the country. Elections should not be based on who knows INEC Chairman or commissioners but for the people to decide who they want to govern them. INEC needs to be cleansed to have free, fair and credible elections” Professor Amadi stated.

In his welcome address, the National Chairman of the Labour party, Comrade Julius Abure explained that the party’s participation in the 2023 general election changed the political landscape in Nigeria adding that for the first time after the June 12 incident everybody and party in Nigeria were united.

The Chairman of the event and former Delta state gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Ken Pela who explained that all Nigerians need is good governance and dividends of democracy urged the party members not to allow what happened in the 2023 elections to repeat itself but unite to build a formidable party to clinch the seat of power in 2027.

In his presentation, the Labour party caucus leader in the House of Representatives, Afam Victor Ogene, who stressed that after the 2023 general election the party had suffered series of disagreements urged party members to come together and work for the party’s victory in 2027.

The Labour Party member representing Sapele/Okpe Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Benedict Etanabene said he believed in the struggle that will make democracy strive.

Etanabene pledged to investigate the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s, failure to transmit the nation’s general election via the IREV having promised Nigerians a transparent, free and credible process.

There were goodwill messages from the Nigeria Trade Union, party chieftains, and stakeholders.

By Georgina Humphrey