As Nigeria marks its democracy day today, citizens have bemoaned what they described as the practice of a system of governance in the country that favours only the rich and affluent in society.
Reactions from a cross-section of Nigerians, whom our correspondent spoke to across Anambra, show the people’s resentment over the widening gap between the rich and the poor, the nation’s growing insecurity and the economic hardship.
This, they said, are all in contrast to the dividends relatable to their contemporaries in countries of the world where democratic rule is practiced.
According to a public affairs analyst, Prof Dennis Aribodor, a nation, like Nigeria, where the opinion of the majority of the people is not considered in decision-making cannot be said to be practicing democracy.
In his opinion, what can be said to be in practice in Nigeria is civilian administration, while the system of governance is purely Plutocracy, which is government of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich.
Prof Aribodor regretted that in Nigeria, no civil servant who falls under the small and medium class can afford to purchase a nomination for any elective position from any of the political parties, not to talk of campaigning and winning primaries, before proceeding to the main elections.
“So, if a system has structured itself in a way that those with the best of intentions, those most qualified in terms of character and learning, are structurally excluded from the political process, then that system is doomed. It is doomed because if you look around the country today in Nigeria, there is heightened insecurity, kidnapping of school children everywhere, and it appears nobody cares.
“Therefore, such a system in Nigeria cannot give us the best because our leaders are not thinking bout the people. So, we are yet to attain democracy, and as such, there is nothing to celebrate,” he said.
Aribodor, who is a professor of Public Health Parasitology at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, said the way out is for Nigerians to organise themselves and float a political party that is mass-driven, where they can determine that the best among them will be elected into positions of power, not those who will spend humongous amounts of money and seek to recover them when they assume office.
“If you go to countries where democracy is working, whether parliamentary or otherwise, you will see that the primary interest is on the citizens, the poorest and most vulnerable. That is the yardstick to measure whether they are moving forward.
“But here, the reverse is the case. Nobody cares.
“So, the call is on citizens to get ready, get into political parties and try to dictate programmes and policies that will shape Nigeria’s political atmosphere, so that people with good intentions will come out, contest and win elective positions. It all boils down to leadership,” he said.
On his part, a public servant, Dr Francis Asoanya insisted that there is nothing to celebrate when innocent children and their teachers are still in captivity, saying a system where the people’s votes do not count is not a democracy.
He also raised concerns over the complicity of the courts in robbing the people of their mandate, expressing worry that protests against such perversion of justice are always met with brutal force and a crackdown.
Asoanya suggested that Nigerians must rise up like their contemporaries in Nepal, Bangladesh, and other countries, through electoral revolution, to ensure that genuine leaders with the right motives are elected.
“In the next few months, the country will go to the polls. That is a good opportunity to get things right!
“A true leader should have stepped aside in the face of the incessant abduction of school children and teachers, knowing fully well that he does not have the capacity to tackle the challenge. Today, Nigerians are not asking for basic amenities. They are only asking for the safety of their lives, and a government that cannot take care of that is an illegitimate government,” he said.
But, for a trader, Ifesinachi Obidi, it appears that the suffering masses are not yet tired of the hardship, hence the dissenting voices among them regarding the obvious economic hardship in the country.
Dwelling on the 2023 General Elections, Obidi explained that the allegation of manipulation of election results was because the Nigerian voters were not unanimous in the decision to vote out the perceived corrupt leaders.
“I am pissed that till now, many Nigerians are still campaigning for the same leaders who have plunged this nation into severe economic hardship, just because of the meagre things they are benefiting now.
“Until we are tired of the hardship and unite against these individuals who have made us suffer, we will not make any headway as a country.
“And the good news is that these people are not up to two percent of the nation’s population. So, we can engender the change we want when we are ready,” she said.
