As Nigerians mark another Democracy Day after the end of Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year regime, there seems to be a glimpse of hope for a better Nigeria where rule of law will be the order of the day.
However, that will only be possible in the illusion of our minds unless things are done right. Since the beginning of democracy in 1999, Nigeria has weathered the storm, with a lot of lessons learned during that brief period.
Of course, there is no doubt that Nigeria has recorded huge successes in the last 24 years since it started practicing democracy, but there are also some pitfalls that must be addressed if the country is to truly be the “Giant of Africa”.
Among the recent lacunae in the system is the 2023 election, which has become a topic of public debate in recent times, especially over the outcome of the poll.
The election saw the emergence of Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s 16th President, despite many flaws that marred the process. Though the likes of Peter Obi and Abubakar Atiku are challenging the declaration of the former as President, there are still some Nigerians who have little or no hope in the way Nigeria practices democracy. For some, it is more like a “demonstration of craze,” just like the Great Fela rightly opined.
Tinubu’s craze
A few hours after he was sworn in as President, Tinubu made a decision that has since thrown the country into agony with the blanket removal of fuel subsidies and the attendant fuel hike. It would have been logical and sound reasoning if the ‘Emi lo kan’ crooner had consulted widely, just like he did during his campaign, before making such a decision that he once described as “breaking the social contract with the people”.
Subsidy removal is a welcome development, but it must be done empirically by putting measures in place to cushion its negative impact on the livelihood of the citizenry. Tinubu’s move came at a time when Nigerians were still looking forward to recovering from the last regime that threw the country into darkness.
Decisions of this magnitude should have been better done through a roundtable discussion with key stakeholders rather than using the fire brigade approach and hoping Nigerians will sacrifice for what they were never part of. If we truly practice democracy, then we must live by the tenets of what we preach as a democratic state.
What is democracy when people are neglected? And for democracy to prevail, there are fundamental questions to be addressed. In this Nigerian situation, we are divided on an issue, and we are asking, ‘Whose views should prevail and in what circumstances?’ Should a majority always prevail, or should minorities sometimes be empowered to overcome majority rule? This craze must stop if we are to get things right.
– Arogbonlo Israel is a journalist and good governance advocate with a wealth of experience in peacekeeping.
