Today, history, in the class of the famous American and French Revolutions, is being made in the United States of America. Although the history is taking place in the US, it represents a victory for all countries of the world where people value freedom.
January 20, 2021, caps the victory of democracy in the age-long struggle between democracy and fascism which abandoned all forms of pretenses and took centre stage from November 3, 2020 when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were elected 46th President and Vice-President of the United States respectively.
That today’s swearing in of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as President and Vice-President is taking place in that freedom-loving country against all odds and threats of violence is a clear testimony that there is no substitute to democracy as a system of government for any nation that values liberty and human rights.
Over the years, democracy, long defined and globally accepted as the government of the people, by the people and for the people, has proved, regardless of its flaws, to be the best system of government, both in theory and in practice, over and above oligarchy, aristocracy, plutocracy, autocracy, theocracy, absolute monarchy, etc.
It means that although authoritarian forces often attempt and succeed in hijacking or manipulating the system, democracy, with all its imperfections, is still the best form of government.
We have learned, from the history being enthroned today in faraway USA, that when democracy is combined with strong institutions constituted by men and women of character and conscience, an educated populace, a free press and other supporting institutions, it becomes almost unshakable!
As President and Vice-President-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris take the oath of office today, we urge all countries of the world, especially Nigeria which have chosen to practise democracy, to rethink and re-work their democratic processes.
We must begin to build institutions and people that will in future serve as bulwarks to those who aspire to turn the country from a pluralistic society into a neo-fascist one, that pretends to be democratic.
Joe Biden has already begun well by showing signs of willingness to run a globally inclusive government, unlike that of his predecessor who built walls and imposed travel bans on different countries and religions, all in futile efforts to make the United States an island among the comity of nations in a world that has increasingly become a global village.
We congratulate Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, the entire people of the United States of America and all freedom-loving people in other countries who stood by USA as its long-established democratic values passed through litmus tests in the furnace, as it were, and finally emerged victorious.
