Democracy is taken for granted as the best form of government. At least the
West told us so. We have also accepted it by default. We have tried multiple
facets of democratic systems – parliamentary and presidential systems, two-
party and multi-party systems – and some are arguing we have a bespoke
democracy that is uniquely Nigerian. Homegrown in every shape!! It gives us
a sense of participation. It allows for fair representation, and many argue that
the representation is not yet wholly free. But whatever and whichever form of
democracy a nation elects to practice, the ultimate objective is freedom, law
and order ,and to deliver public goods, in my view. Nigerians expect and
deserve nothing less.
Since Nigeria’s Independence in 1960, she has gone through three dominant
democratic interregnums and a few quasi-democratic experiences. Nigeria
has witnessed a blend of militarism and democratic tenets of voting and some
representation. This 4th Republic democratic dispensation is significant
because it has lasted for 24 uninterrupted years. That stable, we can
comfortably argue that our democracy is no longer a baby but attained
teenage at least. Thus, our democratic journey calls for introspection and a
critical review of the structures and processes in order to identify inherent
weaknesses and strengths to correct and reinforce respectively.
Truth is, the nation laid the foundation of our current democracy on June 12,
- On that day and season, we established the elements of legitimate
democracy. The election, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s freest and
fairest, became the symbol of democracy in Nigeria and offered hope that
Nigeria could hold a free, fair and rancour-free election.
The critical elements of that election made it unique in all ramifications: Free
and fair electoral process ;and a two-party system. The choice was binary (for
either SDP or NRC), which promoted real competition. Though achieved by an
unelected military regime with an outspoken professor of Political Science,
Humphrey Nwosu, as midwife heading the arguably independent electoral
Commission, the security apparatus of State was manifestly impartial; citizen
participation was intense, and their trust in the system was high enough.
Besides, citizens guarded the process and owned it. Voting was unhindered
while collation and tabulation of results were open and transparent. Money
played a minimal role in electoral choices. The outcome of that election
blurred north-south division and muslim-christain dichotomy .
Sadly, these elements, commendable as they were, could not stop the doom
that the election faced in the long run. This is the reason the dashing of that
national hope and the momentum gained in our march to democracy with the
annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election in Nigeria remains a
significant event in the country’s political history. It would remain so for years
unend. The military government annulled the national unity election, thereby
depriving the winner, Chief Moshood Abiola, the fulfillment of assuming office
as President and Commander-in-Chief.
Beyond Abiola, the annulment of June 12 had far-reaching consequences for
Nigeria’s democracy. Amongst others, it fractured the national fabric but we
mended fences in 1999;it led to years of political instability and
disillusionment. Nigeria has struggled to hit that altitude of electoral
performance ever since! Therefore, restoring the spirit of Nigeria’s democracy
after the June 12 annulment requires a multifaceted approach that addresses
both immediate and long-term challenges. Even though Nigeria is still learning
to improve her electoral democracy, it is clear that we learnt from that
annulment experience. We appear to have made significant progress since
June 12. So significant, the immediate past Administration of President
Muhammadu Buhari in yielding to national conscience renamed June 12 as
our nation’s Democracy Day instead of the May 29 day for transition of power
from one democratically elected Government to another. However and sadly
so, whenever we move two steps forward, some forces pull us another step
backwards. This pattern is becoming established.
Our democracy has made significant progress in some areas, and I will focus
on four major areas.
First, we have been holding periodic elections, no matter how imperfect they
are, since 1999. This has led to electoral representation at all levels.
Representative democracy has been established though no entrenchment of a
democratic culture. Also, Nigeria witnessed for the first time in its history that
an opposition party won a general election in 2015. Thirdly, we have
established freedom of expression owing to a robust and resilient media .
Evidence is found at least in the mainstream media, civil society and social
media spaces. But we have also experienced at various times governments at
the Federal and State levels impinge on the rights of Twitter users and some
broadcast stations to express their voices freely and responsibly on various
contentious issues in the country through deployment of coercive institutions.
Happily however, this censorship has not been a constant feature of the
government.
The fourth is that we have put all necessary institutions of the State in place.
These democratic institutions are the instrumentality for delivering State
functions. Nevertheless, these institutions are weak and fail most of the time
to deliver on their mandate. They are often captured by State actors and used
to perpetuate actors’ hegemony on fragile people. Nigeria’s democratic
conundrum is an aberration in the sense that it has strong actors and weak
institutions. This has allowed for State capture by these influential actors. We
need to strengthen these four crucial areas to reap the full benefit of
democracy.
First, the Nigerian brand of democracy must be transformed. A democracy
that has failed to translate to governance success must be recalibrated. The
indicators are there. From widening poverty , ignorance to insecurity. Most
citizens do not have access to basic things of life. This itself constitutes a
threat to democracy. Second, Nigerian democracy has failed to provide most
citizens with basic physical, social, economic and psychological security. This
has untold implications because protecting the citizens and Nigeria’s territorial
integrity is the State’s primary function. Insecurity has caused the loss of many
lives and property, destroyed economic activities and potential in many parts
of the country, especially in the ungoverned areas.
Third, the State has failed to engender respect for law, order and equality of
persons before the law. Thus, there remains in our country’s democracy a
derogation of the rule of law as a fundamental principle of democracy. The
rule of law simply means that the law rules supreme; no one is above the law
no matter their status in society and the law is no respecter of persons. In
some instances, the law has been trampled upon by influential individuals and
entrenched interests within society with impunity. Fourth, the weak institutions
of the State set up to enforce democracy: the Judiciary, INEC, Law
enforcement agencies as public accountability framework have wreaked
havoc on the system. We must strengthen these institutions to fulfil their
mandate to the people and the State or our democracy would remain
imperiled.
As we forge on with our democracy, we must pause and reflect on the lessons
we must learn from our June 12 experience. June 12 gave us a significant
leap towards legitimate democracy. However, it would be unconscionable not
to admit that we have also taken some steps backwards where same was
avoidable.
The celebration of democracy day today should afford us the opportunity for
sober reflection on the state of our democratic journey and the urgent need to
identify reforms that could strengthen democracy. The important lessons we
must learn from June 12 are outlined below.
The first lesson is the Importance of Free and Fair Elections. The June 12
election underscored the significance of conducting free and fair elections. It
demonstrated that when the will of the people is disregarded, it can lead to
social and political unrest. The lesson here is that governments must ensure
transparent electoral processes that reflect the genuine choice and will of the
people. The second lesson is the importance of accountability and
transparency in governance. The lack of transparency surrounding the
annulment process created suspicion and eroded public trust. Leaders must
be accountable to the people and ensure transparency in their actions and
decision-making processes. Trust builds confidence, legitimacy, and unity. The
third is the power of civic engagement and activism. The June 12 election and
its aftermath witnessed significant civic engagement and activism by the
Nigerian people. It highlighted the power of citizens to advocate for their rights
and demand accountability from their leaders. The lesson is that active civic
participation is essential for developing and preserving a stable democracy.
The next lesson is managing ethnic diversity and political pluralism. Leaders
must work towards fostering national unity, promoting dialogue and finding
common ground to prevent the escalation of our undeniable fault lines.
Furthermore, we must learn to build strong democratic institutions. The June
12 event revealed the weaknesses in Nigeria’s democratic institutions,
particularly the electoral and judicial systems. It underscored the need for
building and strengthening institutions that can withstand political pressures
and ensure the integrity of democratic processes. Even 30 years after the
June 12 debacle, Nigeria still struggles with weak institutions. This new
administration must work to correct this anomaly.
Finally, the June 12 annulment showed the importance of upholding
democratic values such as freedom of expression, association and the right to
vote. These values are fundamental to a functioning democracy and should be
protected and promoted. Leaders and institutions must be committed to
safeguarding democratic principles.
June 12 serves as a reminder that nations should learn from their history to
avoid repeating past mistakes. It is crucial to reflect on the lessons from such
events and take proactive measures to safeguard democracy and prevent
similar situations. It is crucial to reflect on the lessons from such events and
take proactive measures to safeguard democracy and prevent similar
situations.
Restoring the spirit of Nigeria’s democracy after the June 12 annulment is a
long-term endeavour that requires sustained efforts from both the government
and the Nigerian people. It demands a commitment to democratic values,
active citizen participation and a collective determination to build a more
inclusive Nigeria. Now is the time to promote good governance, fight
corruption, foster national reconciliation, enhance freedom of speech and
conscience, strengthen democratic institutions, encourage citizen participation
and engagement as well as ensure further electoral reforms to consolidate on
the progress made thus far as we work to deepen our democracy. The signs
we see from this new government suggest that we have a government that
may push Nigeria forward. The actions of the government in the right direction
in the few months to come will surely lay the foundations of a more robust,
better democracy. This is wishing our dear country a Happy Democracy Day.
