TRUST DIALOGUE: Our Democratic journey requires constant reassessment – Sunday Dare

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Mr. Sunday Dare, has said Nigeria’s democratic journey is a complex process that requires constant reassessment, inclusion, and economic fairness to succeed. Speaking at the 23rd Annual Trust Dialogue held at the Nigerian Air Force Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja, Dare noted that democratic governance is […]

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Mr. Sunday Dare, has said Nigeria’s democratic journey is a complex process that requires constant reassessment, inclusion, and economic fairness to succeed.

Speaking at the 23rd Annual Trust Dialogue held at the Nigerian Air Force Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja, Dare noted that democratic governance is rarely a straight path.

He said it is often confronted by interruptions, imperfect implementation, and competing demands for limited resources.

“Governance is not only setting an agenda; it entails a dynamic reassessment. Any democratic government must reflect not only the political climate of its time but also the economic conditions that define the scope of resources it has at its disposal,” he said.

Dare observed that Nigeria’s democratic development was slowed, not because citizens rejected it, but because leadership and institutions did not fully appreciate the urgency of managing diversity, delivering justice, fostering tolerance, and strengthening political legitimacy through economic fairness.

He said despite the imperfections, democracy remains Nigeria’s lodestar and the country’s most sustained attempt at establishing enduring democratic ideals and institutions.

The presidential aide traced the roots of Nigeria’s challenges to the First Republic, describing it as intensely regional, tribal, and ethnically charged, with politics often driven more by identity than ideology.

He noted that rivalries between nationalist leaders after independence, coupled with the lingering effects of the civil war, including uneven reintegration and unresolved grievances, left enduring fault lines in Nigeria’s political development.

“Over time, exclusion no longer expressed itself through secession, but through disengagement, mistrust, and alienation from the federal center. These unresolved grievances became significant fault lines in Nigeria’s political development,” he said.

Dare also expressed optimism that through dialogue, debate, and inclusion, Nigeria’s democratic project could continue to grow and meet the aspirations of its citizens.