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BEYOND CELEBRATION: DEMOCRACY AS A DUTY, NOT A DAY
By Onímòèro Alejo Olatunde.
Democracy, in its truest form, is not merely the celebration of elections, anniversaries, or historic wins. It is not the sound of fanfare every June 12 or the repeated chants of freedom echoing from political podiums. It is deeper. It is daily. It is a duty.
In Nigeria today, we mark Democracy Day with pride, but also with a mixture of silence and soberness. For millions of Nigerians, the taste of democracy still feels distant like a promise long made, but only partly kept. It is easy to remember the date. But harder to remember when last democracy truly touched the common person’s life.
What is democracy, if not a system built to serve the people? If our young graduates remain jobless, If families cannot afford daily meals and basic healthcare, if roads are still death traps due to bad roads and bandits in our villages and towns,then what truly are we celebrating?
This is not a cry of despair but a call to awakening. We must move from ceremony to responsibility, from applause to action. Democracy must be redefined, not as a government style, but as a shared commitment between citizens and leaders. It is about integrity in leadership and participation from the people. It is about listening more, serving better, and building systems that outlive political cycles.
Our elders fought for the right to vote, to be free from military rule, to have their voices heard. Now, we must fight for accountability, inclusiveness, and policies that work. True democracy is built in classrooms, in courtrooms, in markets, in town halls. It is built every time a young Nigerian dares to dream and is not punished by poverty or limited by the failure of the system.
As we commemorate this day, may we remember: Democracy is not an event it is a lifelong assignment. One that demands courage, clarity, and compassion from all of us.
Let us go beyond celebration and walk the difficult, beautiful road of nation-building for the sake of our children, for the Nigeria we still believe in and for the democracy we deserve.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria 🇳🇬
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