Fourth Republic: Nigerians crave for good governance

At the 23rd Daily Trust Dialogue, with the theme: “Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: What Is Working and What Is Not,” held on Thursday, January 22, 2026, in Abuja, Nigeria’s 26-year-old experience of democracy was laid bare and dissected by stakeholders in the country’s polity. Among independent-minded ideologues at the Dialogue were Dr. Bukola Saraki, a former Senate […]

At the 23rd Daily Trust Dialogue, with the theme: “Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: What Is Working and What Is Not,” held on Thursday, January 22, 2026, in Abuja, Nigeria’s 26-year-old experience of democracy was laid bare and dissected by stakeholders in the country’s polity.

Among independent-minded ideologues at the Dialogue were Dr. Bukola Saraki, a former Senate President who chaired the event; Oba Rashidi Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadanland and former Governor of Oyo State, who served as the Special Guest of Honour; Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, a former Governor of Kaduna State and a lead speaker on the panel; Sunday Dare, a Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication and a lead speaker; and Hon. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, a former Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, also a lead speaker and panellist.

The key speakers and participants took a step back to examine the state of Nigeria’s polity and economy, over two decades after the long night of military authoritarianism. The dictatorship that held sway from 1984 to 1999 gave way to a new era in which supreme power was transferred to the citizens and their elected representatives.

There was a consensus among panellists and participants that the Fourth Republic has produced many positive features. They include the conduct of elections every four years without fail; the transfer of power from one civilian government after another; technological innovations that have democratised information and strengthened citizen engagement, allowing Nigerians to use democratic freedoms like association and expression to challenge state excesses.

Also, Nigeria’s economy has expanded significantly, growing from roughly $57 billion to $59 billion in 1999 to over $243 billion by 2026. Other positive developments include the emergence and rapid growth of the Fintech sector and the creative economy (including film, fashion, and digital content), which have become major employers and drivers of influence; as well as improvements in external reserves and fiscal reforms, and what was described as “judicial interventions” and a “vibrant civil society “ which have occasionally restrained executive excesses during this Fourth Republic.

For Nigerians, civilian rule, good as it has been, has not translated to the kind of good governance that democracy envisaged as witnessed in many other democratic countries. One of the speakers, Nnenna Ukeje, captured the country’s dilemma in the following lines: “The paradox of the Fourth Republic is that while politics is vibrant, democracy remains fragile and governance is receding. Democracy appears unable to resolve Nigeria’s core challenges: insecurity, multidimensional poverty, and declining accountability.” In this sense, the quality of the country’s democracy, measured by its outcome, falls short of the expectations of the people.

No other sphere does the failure of governance manifest more than in the protracted insecurity that has exacerbated anxiety among Nigerians for almost two decades now. Barbaric and violent killings, bombings, kidnappings, banditry, terrorism, cultism, and other crimes that continue to endanger the lives of Nigerians are not tamed by successive governments. In a typical Republic, citizens surrender their rights to self-defence to the state in exchange for protection. Therefore, this long and continuous insecurity signals a breach of this social contract, creating a total lack of trust in the government’s capacity to protect its people.

Insecurity, especially in rural areas, is leading to a decline in food production and increased food insecurity. In terms of the economy, a climate of fear deters both foreign and domestic investors. Businesses often relocate to “safer havens” in other countries, leading to job losses and a reduction in the country’s productive capacity. As Nigerians have witnessed in recent years, the scant national resources which should have been used for development are instead diverted to fund endless military and security operations.

As the Dialogue agreed, there is an urgent need for accountability. The Executive cannot use statistical data as a veil to conceal the kind of performance that does not impact the lives of Nigerians. Statistics has a crafty way of masking the numbing realities of suffering, hunger, poverty, and unemployment that numbers can capture. For instance, the touted aggregate statistics like GDP growth (projected to rise by 4.3% in 2026) can create a false impression of prosperity, at a time when Economic Intelligence fears that more than 140 million Nigerians may slide into extreme poverty in 2026.

Beginning with the current leadership, efforts must be made to salvage the Fourth Republic from degenerating and becoming irrelevant to the lives of the people. First, the process of democratic elections must be transparent, and their outcomes must be seen to reflect the will of the people. Fraudulent polls diminish the people’s confidence in democracy. The Judiciary must assert its independence from the Executive and moneybags to earn its status as the last resort of the common man. It must not just deliver judgment but dispense justice to Nigerians who go to the Judiciary to seek redress. The Legislature must redeem its image as rubber-stamp of the Executive by dispassionately defending the interests of the people it represents in its hallowed chambers.

Nigerians are anxious. Nigerians are suffering. Nigerians are agonising. Nigerians are losing confidence in elections. Nigerians yearn for safety and improved living conditions. The government must focus on how to alleviate our tears in order to make democracy relevant to the people. In other climes, democracy has given birth to social and economic development. Nigeria’s experience must not be different.