National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, has called on President Bola Tinubu and other African leaders to strengthen democratic institutions and safeguard the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Senator Dickson also urged them to ensure credible elections ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
He made the call in Abuja after receiving the Pillar of Nigeria Democracy Award at the 6th Anniversary Lecture, Dinner and Awards organised by Diplomatic Digest Magazine.
Speaking in his capacity as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, the former of Bayelsa State expressed concern over constitutional disruptions and the resurgence of military coups across parts of West Africa.
He urged President Tinubu to sustain diplomatic engagement with the Alliance of Sahel States to foster reconciliation and restore unity within the regional bloc.
“Democracy is not a sprint; it is a marathon. It is the democratic path to development, but there are no shortcuts on that path,” Dickson said.
He said that, “Democracy can only thrive where there is respect for the Constitution, the rule of law, an independent judiciary, a free press, and an electoral management body that enjoys the confidence of the people.”
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the former governor urged all stakeholders to safeguard the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary, and security agencies to ensure that election outcomes reflect the will of the people.
Dickson dedicated the award to the leadership and members of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, as well as millions of Nigerians who have continued to defend constitutional democracy since the country’s return to civilian rule in 1999.
The event, attended by senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, academics and traditional rulers, also featured a lecture titled, “Chinese Diplomatic Tools and the Redefinition of the Global Governance System.”
Delivering the lecture, Head of Contemporary China–Africa Research in Nigeria and Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Professor Sheriff Ibrahim, advocated a strategic and mutually beneficial partnership between Africa and China.
He urged Nigeria to leverage its diplomatic relations with Beijing to accelerate industrialisation, infrastructure development, technology transfer and human capital development, stressing that such engagement should be based on partnership rather than dependency.
Also speaking at the event, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa underscored the importance of active diplomacy in attracting foreign direct investment, expanding trade and enhancing national security.
He called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, the private sector, academia and the media to advance Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives.
In his welcome address, the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Diplomatic Digest Magazine, Kennedy Peretei commended the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, for her leadership.
Peretei expressed appreciation to members of the diplomatic community for supporting the publication over the past six years.
He also appealed to the diplomatic community, governments at all levels and other stakeholders to strengthen collaboration with the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN), describing it as a credible media association with international recognition.
He further praised DICAN Chairman, Frederick Idehai, alongside the association’s executive members and entire membership, for promoting developmental journalism through international conferences aimed at combating disinformation, misinformation, malinformation, fake news and deepfakes.
