Hunger, Insecurity Threatening Africa’s Democracy – Bawumia, Shettima, Obi

Former vice president of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has said the greatest threat to democracy in Africa is citizens’ inability to access food and other basic means of livelihood.

He stated this in a keynote address at the National Conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, which was held in Abuja under the theme “Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: pathways to good governance and political integrity.”

Corroborating, Vice President of Nigeria Kashim Shettima, in his goodwill message, said democracy in Africa was threatened by poverty and insecurity.

Bawumia said that despite democracy’s imperfections, it remained the preferred form of governance because it can guarantee individual liberties and rights.

“Mr Chairman, one of the biggest threats to democracy today is what I call the Next Meal,” he added.

He said eight coups d’etats took place in Africa between 2020 and 2023, leading to a few changes of leaders and “changing their constitutions to allow them to stay in power beyond their constitutionally mandated terms.”

He said, “The increasing fragility of democracy in Africa and across the world is cause for concern. In democratic countries, the people’s will is expressed through elections, and leaders (especially incumbents) must trust the electoral process and accept the people’s will for the survival of democracy.”

Bawumia stated that 2024 has been described as the year of political disruption because, out of 60 countries’ elections, “incumbents lost 80% of the elections largely on account of the increased cost of living following the COVID-19 pandemic, amongst other factors.”

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Peter Obi called on citizens to get involved in the democratic process.

He said whatever happens in democracy affects the citizenry, so they must be involved.

He said on the proposed coalition for the 2027 general elections, I’m not interested in any coalition. It is about discussing Nigeria, how to secure Nigeria, about the interest of a common person in Nigeria.

There are several other imperatives, including often-taken-for-granted issues that, when combined with peaceful and credible elections, enrich and sustain our democracy,”.

He lamented that while the culture of peacefully choosing leaders was entrenched, “institutions are becoming weak and endangered.”

He added, “When we place partisan, ethnic, and other interests over and above competence in appointments to these institutions, we are simply creating mere edifices and structures to reward cronies, creating avenues for reluctant Democrats to get a backdoor route to autocracy and misgovernance.

“Second, there is a growing phenomenon in our democracy whereby people deliberately run down these independent and accountability institutions purely on emotive reasons, especially when these institutions decide to uphold the law in the interest of the masses and in strict fidelity to the law.

“Mr Chairman, it is rather alarming that sometimes these bastardisations of the institutions are undertaken by people with loud voices, people with professional and technical pedigrees, and people who know the truth as espoused by these institutions. For these people, partisan and sectional interests are often packaged as technical and professional opinions, thereby setting these institutions up for public ridicule, scorn, and disdain. This has often set the stage for people with no appreciation of the issues at stake to run amok, eroding public confidence in these institutions and causing substantial damage to our democracy,” he said.

He reiterated that democracy must be a means to an end, not an end.

He said, “The best democracy is the one that delivers public goods and services effectively and efficiently and creates opportunities for citizens while making conscious efforts to leave no one behind.”

Citing the 2024 World Bank report, he stated that two-thirds of the world’s population in extreme poverty live in Sub-Saharan Africa, adding that more than half of Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty.

“For Nigeria and much of Sub-Saharan Africa, our work is cut out for us. We need to take decisive actions to demonstrate that to govern is to advance the interest and welfare of the people. We need to reconfigure our economic systems, processes, and institutions to prioritise the next meal for most of our people. For far too long, the focus has been on ticking the boxes on democratic institutions, much to the extent that they neglect what those institutions have been able to produce for ordinary citizens.

“The person who cannot afford the next ‘Eba’ meal is unlikely to appreciate any data on democratic progress. Ladies and gentlemen, there is growing apprehension among the citizenry about the relevance and usefulness of government institutions, with many people losing faith in these institutions.

“This is concerning and portends a bleak future for democratic sustenance if we do not rise to the occasion, and quickly too. For our democracy to remain relevant and sustainable, actors need to ensure that citizens have confidence in the democratic system to address their needs and concerns, fundamental needs, which I call the next meal principle.”

He said while young people play key roles in rescuing failed democratic systems by confronting and defying dictatorships or systems that are no longer fit for purpose, some young people would rather help misgovernance to fester by becoming proxies to perpetuate injustice and/or obstruct the smooth functioning of systems that will promote good governance.

“The productive energies of young people need to be harnessed properly to empower them to play positive roles in democratic sustenance,” he said.

He opined that deepening and sustaining democracy will require citizens to step up to the plate and give their opinions a greater voice.

“A voice that is long on policy coherence and strengthening systems; and a voice that is short on rhetoric and plain partisan verbiage. In that way, we can hold political officeholders accountable for their actions and teleguide governance efforts towards strengthening and consolidating democratic governance,” he added.

To politicians and political officeholders, he said they have a primary duty to demonstrate commitment to growing a democratic dispensation that upholds rights and delivers benefits to citizens.

“They must eschew corruption, nepotism, and the ‘power at all costs’ posture. Any politician or national leader who threatens fire and brimstone whilst seeking power is not looking to serve the people. Such a politician is seeking power for ulterior motives. This category of politicians threatens our democracy.”

Therefore, he proposes that a new set of leaders is needed for democracy to succeed and remain useful for the citizenry.

“Leaders who place national interests over and above individual parochial interests. Leaders who have no political integrity. The generality of citizens must ensure that we consign greedy and in-ward looking politicians to the basket of irrelevance and project selfless and generational thinkers to the front row of leadership and service. Citizens owe this duty to themselves, God, and country.”

Therefore, he suggested that to preserve democracy, first, we must recognise that democracy is more than casting ballots and declaring winners and losers. We must work to strengthen independent constitutional and democratic institutions. They represent the fuel on which the engines of democracy run.

“Second, ladies and gentlemen, we should prioritise the next meal, particularly Jolof rice of the Ghanaian variety, in configuring democratic systems and processes. A democracy that cannot deliver broad-based prosperity to all sections of society, with your permission, Mr Chairman, is a ‘Doomocracy’. Let us prioritise inclusive economic growth and opportunities, bearing in mind that democracy is a means to an end, not an end.

“Third, citizens need to play their part by holding duty bearers and political office holders accountable by bringing relevant facts and information and well-thought-through ideas and suggestions to the forefront of national discourse. In effect, the watchdog role of citizens, if devoid of misinformation, fake news and partisan narratives, can go a long way to sustain a culture of democratic governance.

Fourth, Mr Chairman, let us direct and harness the positive energy of young people in a way that creates opportunities for them to realise their potential and reduce their vulnerability to being deployed by predatory forces for ruinous causes. The youth can make or unmake our democracy.”

Vice President Shettima, who was represented by Hakim Baba-Ahmed, called on junta leaders to return to democracy.

“In many parts of Africa, democracy suffers setbacks due to complex pressures, including historical and contemporary challenges like endemic poverty levels and insecurity. I would like to state here that Nigeria’s position regarding the fate of democracy in Africa, particularly in our neighbourhood, is to respect the sovereignty of peoples and encourage a return to democracy because citizens in each country desire that return.

Today, we stand at a point where only the most critical scrutiny of our democratic assets and systems will guarantee that they survive and deliver on their promises”.

He said generations above 30 years have earned the right to live only under a democratic system.

“While we may be right in this assumption, we need to remind ourselves that Nigerians under 30 years of age, a critical demographic and political category, have not lived under non-democratic systems. Our failure to prioritise the learning of history means that older generations who appreciate the superiority of democratic systems over others have the onerous task of creating a democratic system that speaks for itself in terms of impact on lives of citizens.”

He reiterated that elected leaders in Nigeria have a huge responsibility to market democracy in terms of the quality of governance, their conduct and disposition towards the rule of law, and respect for the welfare and security of citizens.

“Nigerian democracy must mean a lot more than asking Nigerians to line up every four years to elect leaders. In practical terms, it must mean that leaders commit to the demands of elected leadership in very transparent manners and that mandates given to them to govern make them servants to the interests of the people, custodians of their assets, and protectors of their interests. The best leaders are people who exercise power only to promote the interests of their people. These interests include making laws that are consistent with the economic welfare and security of the citizen, that the judiciary is free from interference and corruption, that institutions and structures of governance function with the highest standards of efficiency and integrity, that citizens’ voices are heard and respected not just during elections; and the basic rules of competition between parties and interests are respected,” he added.

Therefore, he tasked leaders in democratic systems with leading with a vision that identifies a path and destination that ultimately benefits the citizens, even where some have legitimate reservations or issues with them.

He assured Nigerians that the Tinubu administration is “Acutely aware of many concerns over our direction and goals, particularly given the difficulties some of our policies inevitably generate”.

He said, “We are involved in correcting many defects in our economy and approaches to securing the citizen. We have been honest in admitting that this transition from a broken past to a promising future will not be without a price, and we will remain focused on easing the pain and ensuring that we do not take our eyes off the goals. We will listen and adjust where necessary, and we will account our stewardship in all matters our challenging democratic systems demands,”

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Peter Obi called on citizens to get involved in the democratic process.

He said whatever happens in democracy affects the citizenry, so they must be involved.

He said on the proposed coalition for the 2027 general elections, “I’m not interested in any coalition. It is about discussing Nigeria, how to secure Nigeria, about the interest of a common person in Nigeria,”

He called on citizens to discourage money politics.

He added, “We must remove money from politics. Otherwise, we’ll be encourage stealing public money for the next election.”

Earlier, Dr Otive Igbuzor, the founding executive director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), said the event was aimed at tackling the pressing challenges that threaten the very foundation of democracy in Nigeria.

He said the gathering aims to address the complexities and setbacks Nigeria’s democratic system currently faces and find actionable solutions that can restore and strengthen our national governance.

“The very purpose of this conference lies in a vision for a democracy that is genuine, resilient, and inclusive,” he said.

He noted Nigeria’s 25 years of uninterrupted civilian rule “is beset by structural and functional flaws”.

According to him, these range from electoral malpractices, ineffective political parties, and weakened governance structures to pervasive corruption and a concerning erosion of public trust.

“Despite decades of democratic practice, the realities faced by Nigerians today often reflect disillusionment rather than hope. Therefore, this conference’s goal is to reignite hope, rebuild trust, and lay a road map toward a strengthened democratic system that serves all Nigerians with integrity and accountability”.

While calling for political reforms, he said the the political landscape in Nigeria has been dominated by elite cliques, leaving citizens feeling alienated from the governance processes that directly impact their lives.

“Our aim through this conference is to initiate reform efforts to strengthen our electoral process and ensure that our leadership selection process is credible”.

He added that while political parties are the bedrock of any democracy, they fall short of the ideals of transparency, accountability, and responsiveness.

“The focus of this conference includes fostering the development of political parties that are truly representative, open to internal democracy, and accountable to the people. By addressing these issues, we envision political parties that champion the voice and needs of Nigerians, providing viable choices for leadership and governance,” he added.