As the nation marks this year’s Democracy Day, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former chairman of Ogori-Magongo Local Government Area in Kogi State, Dr. Mathew Keyi has paid glowing tribute to the late Chief M.K.O Abiola and other democrats of the June 12 movement who paid the supreme price for the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria.
In a statement, Dr. Keyi commended President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring June 12 as the nation’s democracy day in appreciation of the heroic contribution of Chief Abiola and other democrats who made June 12 a reality.
He further commended the President for the decision to grant financial autonomy to both the state judiciary and the legislature in order to strengthen democratic practices in the nation.
In keeping with the ideals of the Democracy Day, Keyi also urged Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State to put in motion without further delay the machinery for the conduct of elections in the 21 Local Government Areas in the State.
Dr. Keyi said there is no alternative to democracy and advised that the maintenance of unelected democratic structures at the local government level has the potency of stifling the growth and practice of democracy in the State.
The conduct of local government election in the State, Keyi further disclosed, would enhance the emergence of new crop of political actors at the local government level who could be of immense future value in the search for leadership at both the state and federal levels.
Dr . Mathew Keyi, PhD