The declaration of June 12 as the new democracy day in Nigeria must go beyond mere symbolic recognition and must  be followed by a new constitution for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

This was the submission of a human rights activist and academics, Prof. Peter Aborisade in his reaction to the proclamation of June 12 as democracy day by President Muhammad Buhari.

He noted that replacing June 12 with May 29 as  the nation’s democracy day doesn’t justify the 1993 annulment and the death of Abiola but only acknowledges that the election remains the fairest and most credible one ever witnessed in Nigeria.

According to him, the current constitution does not allow Nigerians to build the  democracy of their dreams which Chief M. K. O Abiola died for, while describing the election as a landmark and watershed in Nigeria’s journey to democracy.

Aborisade who lauded the decision of the President to recognise the mandate given to Abiola through the declaration, however noted that before Nigeria can be truly pronounced as a democratic society, the old constitution must be repealed.

He suggested the adoption of the minority report of the Constitution Drafting Committee, set up by the regime of Gen. Murtala Mohammed and Olusegun Obasanjo, affirming that the report encapsulates what a democratic society must look like.

The University Don, who observed that the benefits that Nigerian lawmakers derive from the current constitution wouldn’t allow them to support new constitution, therefore called on civil rights  and Community Based organisations to rise up and challenge the National Assemblies.

Responding on whether Nigerian leaders have learnt their lessons from the annulment, Aborisade said:” Nigeria as a whole have not leant her lesson, because June 12 is a watershed in our journey to building democracy in Nigeria, and that is to acknowledge also that as we are today, we are not yet in a democracy and this intermittent election as one of the pillars of democracy is not all.

“Nigeria need a new constitution and I’m not talking about about thickering with the current constitution, but the one that recognises Nigerians as the owners of the country that will take our positions, views and yearnings into account”.