Several eminent Nigerians, former governors and past public office holders expressed fears on Monday over the falling standards of democracy in Nigeria, arguing that it left much to be desired.
They voiced their fears at a colloquium held at the Abuja Intercontinental Hotel to mark the 60th birthday celebration of former Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, which was chaired by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Also in attendance were former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi; former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; and the immediate past Governor of Katsina, Aminu Masari.
In his keynote address titled ‘Is Democracy Failing in Africa?’ Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, lamented that it seemed like Nigeria’s democracy only worked for a few selected persons.
The cleric also noted that such feeling had fuelled a debate on the suitability of the Nigerian Constitution, which had constantly put pressure on the judiciary.
He said, “We as Africans inherited a system that is not ours, but we can’t say it is not relevant to us. There are differences between democracy in Asia and that of Africa. I feel sorry for judges. At the last election, even small me, I had people calling me, complaining, talk to this, talk to that.
“There was pressure on judges to deliver justice. I agree that there’s an urgent need to clean up the mess. Democracy is about everything, and it’s about justice. Democracy and its principles are endless contestations. There are certain things God has given us which people can’t control.”
Kukah urged politicians to borrow a leaf from the cat-and-mouse relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku, which he said also helped to deepen democracy.
“The relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku is like a Catholic marriage. You will quarrel without breaking up. No constitution will be better than the Bible and Koran. Yet, we are still living in sin. The weaponisation of religion is a big problem in Nigeria.
“Democracy is a work in progress. God doesn’t discriminate against either Christian or Muslim prayers. If we are not treating each other rightly, one must be a bastard.”
But Obi disagreed with Kukah’s assertion that Nigeria’s democracy was a work in progress.
According to him, many progressive minded leaders from 1999 have been striving to raise the bar of the country’s democracy to an enviable height.
“They started in 199, and laid the foundation. Some people came and took it to the decking while others were trying to raise it to the first floor. And then, some people came and knocked everything down.
“That is the situation we are now. Everything has been knocked down. Nothing works. I am somebody who can say this exemplarily. I became a governor through the court when President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar were in government.
“I did not pay the court one naira. I was sitting in my office and the court declared me the winner when the governor was hosting them. It can’t happen in Nigeria today,” he bemoaned.
To buttress how low the country had gone, Obi recalled the incident that transpired during his impeachment as Anambra governor, saying he was surprised to see the emissaries former President Obasanjo sent to intervene on his behalf.
The former LP presidential candidate noted that the likes of Ken Nnamani, a former Senate President, came pleading profusely with the state House of Assembly members not to impeach him.
He said, “Today, the President will impeach the person. So, it has collapsed and failed. These people were begging the House of Assembly not to impeach me. They were in PDP and I was in APGA. President Obasanjo was calling me, asking ‘Peter, are you okay?’ Even when I was impeached, Obasanjo called me and said ‘Are you safe?’
“When the court eventually declared me winner, President Yar’ Adua called me while I was in London and said, ‘congratulations.’ I said, ‘Mr President, I can’t come back. He said, ‘tell me the flight you are coming back with.’ I told him. When I came back, the military came to receive me at the airport. I couldn’t believe it.
“They took me straight to him (Yar’ Adua). Now, the President would ask me not to come back here again. So, democracy has failed. Let’s talk about how to rebuild it because it is collapsing.”
On his part, Obasanjo said what Africawas practising today was a mere reflection of ‘representative democracy.’
“Abraham Lincoln describes it as a government of the people, by the people and for the people. But what do we have today? The Greek democracy affects everyone. Democracy has now become representative democracy and it hasn’t taken care of everyone.
“Democracy in Africa has failed because it’s not African, it didn’t have our culture and way of lives. You will say, ‘go to court’ when you know that you can’t get justice. Democracy is dying in Africa and to save it, it should be made in the context of Africa,” Obasanjo said.
Speaking at the event, Atiku reflected on the price many leaders paid for the realisation of democratic rule.
“In my case, I ran into exile because Abacha was very hostile,” he said.
The former Vice President, however, praised Ihedioha for remaining loyal despite belonging to different political platforms.
“Emeka and I have kept this relationship and till today I have found him extremely loyal, dedicated and focused even though sometimes we found ourselves on different political divides but we kept our relationship and I think that testifies with the kind of person Emeka is,” he said.
Former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal believes Nigerians can make democracy thrive as long as everybody is willing to play their roles.
An emotional Tambuwal, who condemned the recent state of emergency imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, criticised the National Assembly for the unconstitutional manner it approved it.
He said, “Democracy will work if the actors play by the rules. It’s work in progress. Under OBJ (Obasanjo), state of emergency was declared. The NASS worked together to ensure that 2/3 majority passed the emergency. Each member had to vote.
“In this same NASS we have same constitution. What happened in the last one? We need to chase out the bad operators in democracy.”
Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, however, said it was high time Nigeria reviewed the 1999 Constitution to address the plethora of problems plaguing its structure.
According to him, the country cannot afford to lose its enviable status in the international community.
“As Commonwealth Secretary-General, I helped members to transit to multi-party democracy. We need a new constitution to address many challenges. True federalism is the answer to the management of national issues. The recent coups in Mali and Niger tend to take us back.
“The nature of our politics and the conduct of our politicians is another problem of our democracy. They have become instruments of capturing political power. It’s only true, stable democratic governance that can rid our country of the crises which impede development.
“I believe that Nigeria can change this Eurocentric narrative. We in Africa and Nigeria have a responsibility to get a stable democracy and change the Eurocentric narrative,” he stated.
However, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, holds a contrary view.
While acknowledging Nigeria is plagued by significant challenges, Abbas emphasised that the country was making steady progress.
He said, “For me, it depends on what we make of democracy in Africa. Only by understanding that, and deeply reflecting on it, can we be in a position to say if democracy has added value to development and growth in the continent or not.
“For me and the 10th House of Representatives, democracy has come to stay in Africa and indeed Nigeria. It is a process which over the past two decades has crystalised into an acceptable model of leadership and it is being consolidated in our nation. Nigeria is making steady progress despite varying challenges characteristic of a developing nation.
“One of the basic features of democracy is the periodic conduct of elections to choose leaders. This is the essence of democracy.”
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
