Assessing Nigeria’s 25 Years Of Unbroken Democracy

The venue was the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, and the event was the 2024 Annual Lecture and Gold Prize Award organised by ‘ThisNigeria’ newspapers on the theme, ‘25 Years of unbroken Democracy: Challenges, Prospects and Possibilities’, with Chief Mike Ozekhome, (SAN) as guest lecturer , while Senator Shehu Sani and Professor Abiodun Adeniyi of Baze University, Abuja, served as discussants. Professor Okey Ikechukwu was the moderator on an issue that sought to assess Nigeria’s quarter-of-a century journey to the present steady democracy that was inaugurated on May 29, 1999.

Song Of Lamentations

The guest speaker, who played prominent roles during the struggle for the restoration of democracy went down the memory lane to recall the dark days of the fight, ahead and after the annulment of June 12 presidential election. The reputable lawyer reminded present leadership at all tiers to enthrone justice and fairness in ensuring equity for all ethnic nationalities. On whether Nigeria was practising democracy, Ozekhome asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to go out and feel the pulse of Nigerians.

Distraught that many companies have left Nigeria due to the current gale of insecurity shredding the country, among other challenges, Ozekhome said, “We need a new constitution, like what America did then. Not only do we need to de-centralise, we need legal reforms, electoral reforms, among others. We should do away with political corruption, where people in government take the largest chunk of what belongs to the people. Mr. President, there’s hunger and anger in the land. Disguise yourself one night and go out there and see what Nigerians are facing”.

Professor Adeniyi declared that though democracy came with all the promises of delivering dividends of democracy to the citizens, yet the journey of 25 years has been trailed with challenges. He called for continuous retooling of the nation’s political system to ensure that the citizenry is better off under the ballot system. The university teacher also called on politicians to promote the capacity of democracy to deliver the best of dividends for the electorate.

Timely Jibes

Senator Sani used the platform to reminisce on how activists deliberately shot themselves in the foot by rejecting General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s overtures to participate in the political process leading to the inauguration of democracy in May 1999.

In Senator Sani’s recollections: “…And after four years in prison, when we came out from prison, this is where the story is going to begin. Abdulsalam Abubakar invited all who fought for democracy— ‘that I am going to hand over power to a democratically elected government. I want all of you, the freedom fighters, to come together and take over power.’ At that very time, Gani opposed it. Three times, he invited us; we even refused to answer his calls… By the time we all agreed to join politics, politicians had taken over all positions.

Not someone to be cowed, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who was with ThisNigeria Gold Prize in Infrastructural Development and Exceptional Leadership, Barr Nyesom Wike, challenged Ozekhome to balance his criticisms with the acknowledgment of progress attained in the last 25 years of democracy. According to the minister, “It would be wrong sitting here without correcting some impressions. We are talking about 25 years of democracy; we know we have challenges. I expected the lecturer to also speak of progress. But the lecture was just about criticisms, nothing was said about progress. Are you telling me that no single progress was made?”

Also honoured with the Gold Prize award were Governors of Kano and Akwa Ibom states, Abba Kabi Yusuf and Pastor Umo Eno, respectively, as well as Special Financial Investigator, Jim Obazee and veteran Labour leader and the Director General, Michael Imoudu Institute of Labour Studies, Comrade Issa Aremu.

Reworking Democracy

Democracy is often described as a journey and not a destination. With its shortcomings, 25 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria has contributed in no small measure to strengthening democratic institutions and deepening the ballot form of government. The legislative arm that was once diminished by the military has been resuscitated and active, thus giving Nigerians the right to participate in a democratic government.

Much as corruption has become the bane of our nation’s development, citizens are yet to witness strong efforts at controlling the spread of the corruption monsters in the public sector. The deadly impacts of corruption have been astonishing, with the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, wondering how the country has been able to survive in the face of mounting corruption. No nation can survive its tormentors when it is incapable of tackling perpetrators of corruption. Democracy has brought freedom, but it has also opened a floodgate of challenges and, at the same time, new platforms in confronting these trials. Nigerians must be willing to rework democracy in order to get the best for our country.

Chairman of the occasion and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who was represented by Major General Adamu Jidda (retd), called on Nigerians never to cease standing up for democracy, stressing that the ballot form of government is the best for the country. The Publisher of ‘ThisNigeria’ newspapers, Me Eric Osagie, noted that the event is aimed at celebrating public officials and private individuals engaged in deepening democracy and changing the Nigerian story for the common good.

From what transpired at the event, 25 years of Nigeria’s unbroken democracy may not have provided citizenry with all their expectations, but it nevertheless provided various platforms for participatory government that has the potential of resolving issues afflicting the country.