Democracy Day carries a huge significance for every Nigerian. Beyond mouthing what this day entails, Nigerians need to remind themselves that they are not yet where they ought to be; a lot of things have continued to go from bad to worse.
After a long period of military intervention in the governance of the country, Nigeria returned to civilian rule on May 29, 1999. General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the military head of state who conducted the elections, handed over to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
In 2019, the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari, signed the law changing Democracy Day from May 29 to June 12 every year. It was in recognition of the sacrifices Chief Moshood Abiola made towards the enthronement of democracy in Nigeria. Abiola presumably won the presidential election of June 12, 1993, on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). It was considered the freest and fairest election in Nigeria’s history. But the then military President, Ibrahim Babangida, annulled it. Many people were killed in the course of the protests that trailed the annulment. Abiola, who later declared himself President in 1994, was arrested and detained for treason. He died in detention in July 1998.
Obviously, Abiola will not be happy seeing what our democracy has turned out to be. For instance, a major cornerstone of democracy – the electoral process – has been bastardized. People’s wishes no longer prevail. In the last general election, thuggery, intimidation and harassment of voters, vote- buying and manipulation of election results held sway. Some of the people parading the corridors of power today were not the choice of the people. This contrasts sharply with the recent free and fair elections held in some other African countries like Liberia, Senegal and South Africa.
Ethnic and religious divisions still define our existence. Appointments, most times, do not reflect the diversity and federal character of Nigeria. This has fuelled agitations for self-determination in some parts of the country.
Besides, corruption and wastage of our resources have not abated. The National Assembly members took home luxury vehicles that cost the nation a fortune last year. The sum of N90 billion was expended on sponsoring religious pilgrimage this year while our education and health sectors have remained underfunded. Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) are often on strike to press home their demands for better working conditions.
Generally, the economy has remained in a very bad shape. Headline and food inflations have progressively jumped to unbearable rates. Most companies are struggling to survive the harsh economic realities. Some that could not cope with the situation have closed down. Many others still in operation have posted huge losses, especially in the past one year. The country’s debt profile has continued to balloon. From N21.725 trillion in 2017, it jumped to N87 trillion in Q3 of 2023. As of December 2023, it rose to N97.34 trillion. And there are plans to borrow more.
Poverty, hunger and unemployment have remained endemic. In 2018, Nigeria was adjudged the poverty capital of the world. Then, about 87 million people were said to be living in extreme poverty. Today, the poverty rate has increased with over 133 million people said to be multi-dimensionally poor.
Earlier in the year, there were reports of looting of warehouses in some parts of the country, including Abuja, Niger, Kaduna and Ogun states. Nigeria scores very low in the Global Hunger Index. In 2022, it ranked as low as 103 out of 121 countries.
This situation has, somehow, contributed to the high rate of insecurity in the country. Arguably, the most used words in our lexicon today are terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, ransom, Boko Haram, and unknown gunmen. Millions of citizens have been rendered homeless. Thousands of others have either been abducted for ransom or killed for sundry reasons. Life in Nigeria has become brutish and hopeless.
Despite the imperfections, we have a few things to thank God for. For instance, for 25 years, we have transited from one civilian government to the other without any interference from the military. Citizens have been able to express their minds, though security agents, sometimes, clamp down on government critics unduly. Infrastructurally, things have also changed. There are many roads and bridges in place. The only snag is that, most times, we fail to maintain those facilities when it is necessary.
We need to move the country forward. Nigerians are not asking for too much. They are only asking for good roads, constant electricity, freedom of expression, equal opportunities for citizens in education, health care, government appointments, food security and employment.
The first step is to respect the sanctity of our elections. People’s votes must count at all times. The rule of law must be protected. We should begin to build a nation where no man is oppressed and where the system works. We need to cut down on cost of governance and prioritize investment in education and health care.
The onus currently is on President Bola Tinubu to do things that will bring more peace, unity and progress to the country. Let us continue to rebuild the nation and copy good models from outside. Abiola’s death should not be in vain.