NNPC

Nigeria’s Democracy At Crossroads, Says Atiku


Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that Nigeria”s democracy is at a crossroads and at risk of being eroded completely.

A statement on Monday by his media office said Atiku asserted this in a presentation at the National Conference on Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria, held at the Continental Hotel Abuja.

Atiku, whose paper was said to have been presented on his behalf by Prof. Bayo Olukoshi, said it’s not surprising that the country has found itself in the present situation because the political leaders have failed to protect democracy.

Atiku said, “There is no doubt that our democracy is at a crossroads. Put simply, it is at risk of eroding completely. And it is not caused by one single person or one single administration. A number of us have been warning over the years that we may come to this pass if we lose our vigilance and fail to take corrective actions to protect and deepen our democracy.

“At the risk of sounding immodest, I doubt that there are many contemporary senior political leaders who have spoken out and done more to promote democratic governance in our country than me. In addition to public statements and presentations, I brought some actions to our courts, which produced landmark judicial decisions intended to uphold democratic principles and practices.

“Some of that effort was thrust upon me by circumstances of political struggles. But much of my effort was because of two things: my participation among other leaders in the struggles to ease the military out of power; and my deep and enduring belief that democracy is the best route to development and unity for our diverse country and peoples.”

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election said democracy is characterised by people’s freedom to choose their leaders, periodic elections, which partly ensure leaders’ commitment to the welfare of the governed and leaders’ acceptance of guardrails, which prevent leaders from accumulating and abusing power.

Continuing, Atiku said democracy must also ensure consequences for non-compliance, including rejection at the polls, an independent judiciary to adjudicate disputes, and checks and balances among the three branches of government.

“One thing we can’t seriously dispute is the serious decline in governance consistent with the erosion of people’s freedoms to
choose leaders. Nostalgic references to the development strides of the First Republic relative to the subsequent periods are indicative of this decline.

“The deterioration in people’s freedom to choose their leaders has led to what many now regard as state capture in our country, the gravest consequence of which is the increasing difficulty in removing those in power through democratic means,” he added.

The former Vice President insisted that effecting change through democratic means is still better for democracy and development to endure.

He identified the institutional capacity of parties, normative acceptance by party members, consequences for non-compliance, and judicial reform as strong pillars that could support the nation’s democracy.

In a veiled reference to the Bola Tinubu administration, Atiku said it’s always difficult for people in power to accept reforms that could tilt the balance of power against them.

“Let me conclude by saying that it will be difficult for those currently in power to accept these reform proposals but no one or party stays in power indefinitely. Besides, reforms should not be focused on just today but on the future, as well.”

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