We must sustain democracy, – Ndoma-Egba
Former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), has asked stakeholders to sustain democracy in the country, saying it’s work in progress. Speaking when he played host to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Cross River State Council, Ndoma-Egba said the fact that Nigeria is still one country despite its complex history, is nothing short of […]
Former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), has asked stakeholders to sustain democracy in the country, saying it’s work in progress.
Speaking when he played host to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Cross River State Council, Ndoma-Egba said the fact that Nigeria is still one country despite its complex history, is nothing short of a miracle.
Ndoma-Egba who urged citizens to focus on what unites rather than divides, further cautioned against idealising foreign democracies, reminding Nigerians that even the most advanced countries were facing “democratic decline.”
He said, “If America can wobble, who are we to think our path will be smooth? Democracy, like development, is always a work in progress.You say to your partner, ‘No matter how hard it gets, I’m not leaving.’ That’s what has kept Nigeria together.”
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Reflecting on the nation’s 65 years since independence, Ndoma-Egba acknowledged the country’s failures and frustrations but emphasised that progress is still being made.
“In nation-building, there is no final destination. Development is not a straight line, and no country ever truly arrives,” he noted.
Drawing from his personal experience, the Senator spoke of life through colonial rule, independence, civil war, and several coups—all within a single lifetime.
He called this compressed history both rare and mentally taxing, warning that it can test the resilience of any society. “Elsewhere, such events would span centuries. We’ve had them all at once,” he said.
He said Nigeria’s survival as a united entity is proof of an underlying national will. “We are still one. That is a major achievement. Forget the noise about secession. No rational Nigerian truly wants to see the country disintegrate,” he said.
The visit also featured the presentation of an Award of Excellence by the NUJ team, led by the Chairman, Comrade Archibong Bassey. The award recognised the Senator’s four-decade-long relationship with the union, making him the longest-serving patron in Cross River State.