Says those who can’t accept defeat don’t deserve joy of victory
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Despite divergent views held by many people, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has claimed that the Nigeria democracy ” is well and alive.”
The President who made the claims during his nation-wide address to mark this year’s Democracy Day, argued that the conduct of elections since the return to civilian rule was a confirmation that democracy had gained root in the country.
“This year, we held the seventh in the cycle of elections that have become sacred rituals of our democratic practice in this dispensation since 1999.
“That the polls were intensely contested is in itself positive evidence that democracy is well and alive in our land. It is only natural that even as those who won and experienced victory in the various elections are elated and fulfilled, those who lost are disenchanted and disappointed,” he said.
“But the beauty of democracy is that those who win today can lose tomorrow, and those who lose today will have an opportunity to compete and win in the next round of elections.”
Tinubu, however, said that those not ready to accept defeat do not deserve the joy of victory.
“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.
“Above all, those who disagree with the outcome of the elections are taking full advantage of the constitutional provisions to seek redress in court and that is one of the reasons why democracy is still the best form of government invented by man.”
Recall that the presidential candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar; and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, respectively, are still challenging the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential poll, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
