The Labour Party claims to be fighting for Nigerian democracy in the same way as pro-democracy campaigners did during the military era.
The Chief Spokesperson, LP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Yunusa Tanko, spoke on Monday during Channels Television’s special coverage for Democracy Day.
The annual celebration commemorates the country’s democracy against the backdrop of the annulled June 12, 1993 election which saw Chief Moshood “MKO” Abiola emerge as the presumed winner under the military regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.).
“[Bashir] Tofa also lost in front of his own polling unit in Kano,” Tanko said. “That’s to tell you the level to which democracy was at its peak in that particular period of time.”
The LP campaign spokesman also reacted to President Bola Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech, which took a swipe at his political opponents over the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.
“Those who cannot endure and accept the pain of defeat in elections do not deserve the joy of victory when it is their turn to triumph,” Tinubu said.
According to the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the party’s candidate, Peter Obi, came third behind Tinubu (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Tanko however argued that the LP is fighting for Nigeria’s democracy.
“All of these things about democracy, all of these people that you see behind you fought for democracy and today they’re being celebrated,” he said.
“For us in the Labour Party and the Obidient movement, we’re fighting for democracy right now and we know we believe that tomorrow, we’ll be celebrated because we’re fighting for what is just and right and the due process.”
The LP is challenging the outcome of this year’s presidential election at the election petitions tribunal in Abuja.