The immediate past Vice President of Sierra Leone, Alhaji Sam Sumana, said Nigeria remained the biggest democratic country in the African continent, stressing that other Africans are looking up to it to show good example.
Sumana, however urged all the political leaders and stakeholders to put the diversity and differences aside to ensure the greatness of Nigeria.
Speaking at a 2-day Roundtable on the evaluation of the 2019 general elections in Abuja on Monday, Sumana, expressed happiness that the continent has transformed from countries ruled by kings, chiefs and warriors to a big democratic continent.
The event was organised by the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) in collaboration with about 75 political party chairmen.
The ex-Sierra Leone VP said: “I am so fulfilled to be in this great country of ours. I want to thank God for Nigeria for being there for us, Sierra Leone. Nigeria supported us during those trial periods. The African continent has began to do something in the right direction.
“Before now, Africa was known as continent ruled by kings, chiefs and warriors. But today, we have transformed into a big democracy. Yes, it is still a learning process but we can say we must all plan for ourselves. It is good that Nigeria embrace democracy as the biggest democratic country in Africa.
“There is a common saying in the West Coast that when Nigeria sneezes others catch cold. So, we learn from Nigeria as the biggest democracy in Africa. We look up to you to emulate those good examples that will help us to ensure that Africa is no longer seen in the eyes of the camera for the wrong reason but as a continent of reforms,” he said.
The roundtable brought together all the stakeholders in election process to discuss the challenges witnessed during the last general elections and also profer solutions for the challenges against future.
In his remarks, a University lecturer from Osun state University, Prof. Anthony Kola Olusanya, said if people look at only the negative reports about Nigeria election process, “one will say the INEC’s performance was woeful but from the perspective of Examner, INEC did well in the last general elections.”
For the National Chairman of Labour party, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdusalam, said the the country still has a long way to go because some politicians still see elections as a do or die
“INEC from the top tried but some of the staff distorted the process.”