By Uzair Adam Imam
Former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar expressed his satisfaction with handing power over to a democratically elected president in 1999.
Abubakar made this disclosure during an interview with journalists over the weekend.
He stated, “Not at all! Not at all! Not at all! I am happy with what is going on. Yes, everything is not perfect, but here we are today, celebrating 25 years of unbroken democracy.”
Abdulsalami, who handed over power to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, acknowledged that while there are still challenges, Nigeria has made significant progress since 1999.
“We are not yet there but have come a long way since 1999. The only drawback we have in the system is people still sell their votes, and they do all types of things; they allow the politicians to use them in ballot box snatching here and there – unnecessary things that we should have overcome at this age.”
He emphasised the importance of voters holding elected officials accountable and lamented that some individuals still engage in vote-buying.
“Unfortunately, I still maintain, there are some very few people who abuse the process and they allow their votes to be bought.
“And if they are buying these votes, certainly they cannot be called to be accountable, the people who are being so elected.”
Despite these challenges, Abdulsalami expressed optimism about Nigeria’s democratic progress and the growing awareness among citizens that their votes matter.