The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), House Of Justice (HOJ), Barr. Gloria Mabeiam Ballasson has urged Nigerians and Electorates to excerise their rights in democracy and within the ambit of the law vote competent candidates in the forthcoming general elections.
Barr. Ballason made the call during the 2022 annual submit held in Kaduna with the theme: “Democracy and political Participation, key reflection, the role of citizens in a democracy” which she said was basically aimed at bringing all the candidates of political parties seeking for power together so that citizens can hear what they have to offer and afterwards make the choice of who to vote for during the general elections.
The human rights lawyer, noted that there is nothing wrong with the Nigeria’s space but everything is wrong with their inability to demand for what is theirs, adding that democracy which is government of the people by the people and for the people according to Abraham Lincoln has given them the right to be the game changer in the political space.
She said, democracy puts the people at the centre and not at the edge, stressing that democracy ensures the protection and preservation of the sacredness of
the Constitution and the rule of law and also amplifies the voices of the people.
“It does not seek to elevate a section of the citizens over others by virtue of region, religion or any other primordial sentiments. Democracy believes, protects and enforces the fundamental rights of the people, we will not stop until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness as a never failing stream”.
She said, “there is nothing really wrong with the Nigerian space. There is everything wrong with our inability to demand for what should really be ours. There is everything wrong with allowing the status quo to continue. So we think with the reason of the submit this year that we should first get back the power and put it in the hands of citizens to be able to demand the kind of governance they want.
“The idea is so that citizens can be able to see and demand for what is theirs, see what the candidates bring to the table. Because we think that it is very important and that citizens should see themselves at the center and not on the sidelines.
“But again, it is important to state the fact that in the manner in which democracy is practiced in Nigeria , political actors and indeed government officials push the citizens to the edge and our key asked and contention this year is that democracy should not put people on the edge but should put people at the center for obvious reasons
“Whether we are politicians or we government officials, we have just one country we are either going to devote ourselves to make the country work or we perish together. But I hope citizens will see that as institutions, we are doing all we can to make them see what is the way forward and the full compliments of who they are in terms of what democracy means so that they can participate because without the participation of citizens, we will not have democracy. We will have autocracy, or oligarchy but we will certainly not have democracy.
“And I know that there is a lot of contention to know whether democracy is the right thing to practice in a country like ours but for over 500 years, this is the form of governance that has shown that it is the majority who will decide on what they want and so far, this looks like what may be more acceptable and while the world evolves and civilization evolves, it is important that we make the move of the democracy and see what will come out of it.” She added.
The program had in attendance the gubernatorial candidates of the ruling All progressive Congress, (APC) senator Uba Sani, New Nigerian People’s Party, (NNPP) Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, Mal. Hayatudeen Makarfi Lawal of People’s Redemption Party, (PRP) Rev. Dr. Andrew Duya of Action Progressive Grand Alliance, (APGA) Hon. Jonathan Asake of Labour Party (LP) and Isa Ashiru Kudan of People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) represented by his running mate Dr. John Ayuba with all of them stressing economic recovery, security and unity as top priority if elected into office in 2023.
