The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has submitted that Nigeria does not have a functional democracy in place.
According to him, the country has failed to meet the basic requirements of what is expected to be a democratic setting because the government is not working for the people as it should in a properly defined democratic setting.
He submitted that at best, Nigeria can be described to be striving to be a democratic country.
Peter Obi, in an interview with Arise Television on Tuesday, lamented that people with unverified and forged certificates, as well as allegations of criminal records, are in positions of leadership in Nigeria.
He added that a country without an independent judiciary and an effective legislature can’t be said to be practicing true democracy.
The former Anambra State Governor therefore urged leaders to stop deceiving Nigerians that what the country has is true democracy.
In his words, “You can’t have a democracy without a functional and effective legislature, which you know we don’t have today. You can’t have democracy without again, an independent judiciary that fights for the common man. I can go on and on. In a democracy, it is clear, there are guidelines even set for people vying for elections like in Nigerian case, we have to talk about people must be qualified; they must have primary school, secondary school, university and must attain certain age; that is not happening today.
“People with unverified forged certificates all over the place, criminal records and everything, and they are in charge.
“Yes, maybe we are striving to be a democratic country, but the way we are today, is not. Look at what happened in Rivers, can you call that democracy?”The former Governor of Anambra State expressed strong disapproval of the country’s political system, asserting that it is misleading to label Nigeria as a democracy. He emphasized that Nigeria lacks the essential principles and standards that define a true democracy.
Obi lamented that ordinary Nigerians are not benefiting from government policies and that their votes are disregarded during elections. He pointed out that while Nigeria’s democracy had made strides since 1999, it is now in a state of collapse under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“I have said it before, and I will continue to say that there is no democracy in Nigeria today. We are not living in a democratic country. Let’s stop deceiving ourselves. If you assess the country based on the key principles and criteria of democracy, it’s clear that it doesn’t exist here,” Obi stated.
He explained that democracy is supposed to represent a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. According to Obi, the current Nigerian government fails on all these fronts: it is not truly for the people, as citizens’ votes do not count; it is not by the people, as the election process has been undermined; and it certainly does not serve the people’s needs.
He also pointed to specific examples of government failures, mentioning his recent visit to an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, where thousands of people lacked basic healthcare services and education. “I visited an IDP camp, and they were pleading for a nurse. They don’t have a primary healthcare center, and no primary school. I have promised to ensure that they get both,” Obi said, highlighting the government’s neglect of fundamental services for the citizens.
