Democracy Day without democracy!

Democracy Day, marking end of military rule and swearing-in of a civilian president, was originally celebrated on May 29, 1999. Nineteen years later, on June 5, 2018, President Buhari declared that June 12 would be the new democracy day. Truthfully, June 12 date actually represents nothing good about democracy. It is the day that Nigerians […]

Democracy Day, marking end of military rule and swearing-in of a civilian president, was originally celebrated on May 29, 1999. Nineteen years later, on June 5, 2018, President Buhari declared that June 12 would be the new democracy day.

Truthfully, June 12 date actually represents nothing good about democracy. It is the day that Nigerians overwhelmingly voted for MKO Abiola in the presidential election. Rather than declare him winner, the election though free and fair, was annulled on June 23, 1993; a day that lives in infamy in the history of democracy in Nigeria!

No subsequent presidential election has been conducted in such an unimpeachable manner, indeed under the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the standards continue to fall. It has reached the point where losers regularly present concrete evidence of malpractices but cannot convince the Apex court that there was not “substantial compliance” with electoral laws!

Purportedly celebrating democracy on Democracy Day is an annual ritual in which political office holders celebrate their access to “dividends of democracy” while urging long-suffering citizens to make additional sacrifices for a greater tomorrow, despite things getting progressively worse!

• Family loses 23 members as many killed in Benue attack
• Wike, Ortom, Ikpeazu, Fayose’s visits to Tinubu spark reactions in PDP

The disdain and contempt for the public and their opinions by Nigerian political office holders is legendary. They mistakenly believe that “real politics” is all about winning elections by any means and public opinion is irrelevant. President Tinubu would have been better advised to use his Democracy Day address to try and unite the nation behind his government by acknowledging the various pains citizens are experiencing under democracy as expressed in social media, rather than sweeping them under the carpet.

The failures of democratic governance in Nigeria are in open sight, highlighted by the rising cost of governance in a situation where there is economic downturn, mass unemployment, routine mass killing and general insecurity, dilapidated infrastructure, and an epileptic power supply.

In a scathingly true criticism of Nigerian democratic governance, the Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi highlighted a shameful contrast between the hardships suffered by citizens, and the unabated government extravagance. He highlighted the fact that many public primary and secondary schools are dilapidated, yet the government lavishes billions on luxury office complexes, luxury vehicles, and luxury residential accommodations.

Opposition and the right to peaceful protest are integral parts of true democracy which entails public participation, not silence. Celebrating democracy when there is voter apathy due to scandalously corrupt electoral processes and general distrust of election results, and while the democratic right to express dissent is being suppressed, is ironic to say the least.

On June 12,  2025, when concerned citizens turned out to exercise their democratic rights and demand good governance, electoral justice and improved living conditions, full riot-gear security personnel were mobilised to deter them. Citizen’s democratic rights are further handicapped by a harmful alliance between the National Assembly (NASS) and the Executive Arm of government. The separation of powers, which is a core element of democracy, is being undermined.

Since 1999 NASS has been guilty of failing in its constitutional duty to check the excesses of the executive by routinely trivialising breaches of the Constitution and serial outrageous abnormalities in governance. The failure of legislative oversight undermines accountability and fuels public distrust of democracy.

NASS declines to sanction even the most obnoxious and corrosive conduct by the executive, and normalises behaviour which should be scandalised under democracy. There is widespread concern over the erosion of democratic principles within NASS, where legislators represent themselves and their personal interests rather than the interests of their constituents.  In their relationship with the Executive Arm they appear satisfied with serving as an extension of the presidency.

Democracy has also not brought about better governance at either state or local government levels where chief executives tend to focus on self-aggrandisement, politics, white elephant projects, and propaganda instead of embarking in genuine developmental governance. As a result, the electorate is denied the dividends of democracy and plagued with abysmal development indexes, rampant insecurity and other unquantifiable hardships.

Although the primary duty and responsibility of government is to protect lives and property, paradoxically despite billions being spent on defence annually, banditry and insurgency are worsening and new terrorist factions emerging.

In the midst of this political office holders have quite lamentably appropriated police as their bodyguards, door-openers, bag carriers and enforcers. Young Nigerians in Diaspora who look towards the future, hoping that generational change in leadership will enhance democracy, notice with alarm that opportunities for emergence of fresh blood and new ideas are handicapped.

Politics is now becoming a family business as former and current top political office holders foist their offspring upon the nation even though they do not possess the requisite experience, knowledge or comprehensive understanding of the challenges of governance to hold public office. It reflects their parent’s awareness of the limited opportunities for young Nigerians to legally achieve financial success within Nigeria.

As for the presidential address, the one redeeming feature was President Tinubu’s warning that suppressing dissent and silencing critics undermines democracy. Femi Falana SAN one of the “Heroes of Democracy” contends that public officers aggrieved by negative reports or comments should seek redress in civil courts rather than try to criminalise criticism, while calling upon the government to drop all criminal cases against citizens charged for criticising public officials.

Truthfully, together with completely overhauling INEC, it would serve to strengthen democracy before celebrating yet another June 12  without true democracy!