PROFESSOR Wole Soyinka's democratic credentials were yesterday extolled by former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who again canvassed free and fair elections as panacea for national political stability.

He spoke in Lagos yesterday during his investiture as chief patron of the Wole Soyinka Africa Portrait Competition, with the theme "Africa Pledge for Democracy," by the organisers which is a collective forum of different artistic groups.

Tinubu said it was a rare honour to be associated with a competition in honour of " Uncle W.S.", who he described as an "icon of democracy and freedom" who had long been in the vanguard for democracy and human dignity in Africa.

He dismissed insinuations that his absence at the launch of the National Democracy Initiative (NDI) in Abuja was tantamount to his opposition to the idea.

He declared: "You cannot in any way insinuate that because I was not there personally, I was opposed to the idea. Anything tailored to promote democracy and free votes, I will support. Though I was not physically present, I was represented at the event."

Tinubu said lack of democracy was the single most serious plague militating against Nigerian nationhood, and added that it was high time Nigeria broke the jinx of lack of democracy and bad governance to finally actualise the potential that everyone knew the country had and also deliver development and prosperity.

He said he was excited that the Wole Soyinka Africa Portrait Competition was tailored at not only letting Nigerian and African artists showcase their talent on a deserving icon, that the theme was "Africa Pledge for Democracy" was especially apt, given the fact that Nigeria was in the process of reforming her electoral system.

"If I were President Umaru Yar'Adua, I would regard electoral reforms as a one-item agenda and push it seriously, even if I lost my presidency at the end of the day. If he did that, and even if he lost, posterity of Nigerians would forever be grateful to him for saving his country when all hope seemed lost", he advised.

The former governor said for one, Nigerians should be patriotic and do what needed to be done to save the country from avoidable crisis, adding that patriotism was putting the nation above self.

Tinubu pledged that with the noble aim of the Soyinka portrait competition, he would do all in his power to ensure that the competition succeeds, so that the gospel of democracy and good governance would be preached throughout the length and breadth of Africa.

Earlier, Tom Ebulu, the contest's chief coordinator, had told the media at the event that the contest was aimed at using an African icon to push the message he believed Africa needed to imbibe democracy.

Describing Tinubu as the "father of modern democracy in Nigeria because he not only delivered good governance while in office and at the same time delivered a successor that has continued with that good governance," he said the organisers had put plans in place for regional coordinators for the competition in Kenya and South Africa.

The idea, he added, was to ensure the competition covers well the whole of the African continent.

Among the organisers are a collective of Nigerian artistic groups including the Society of Nigerian Artists, the National Gallery of Art, as well as the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, which is one of the sponsors.

The competition has a sub-theme "Make Lagos Environment Your Best Friend", by virtue of Lagos being the host city for the competition.