Nigeria’s Democracy Day: A commemoration or contradiction

POINTBLANK
With Smart Emmanuel Chukwudi 09066642354

Every year on June 12, Nigeria pauses to observe Democracy Day a date of deep historical significance, symbolic resistance, and unfulfilled promises. It is a day that should remind us of our collective desire for a free, fair, and representative government. Yet, as we commemorate this occasion, one cannot help but question what we are truly celebrating. Is it democracy in its real form or “democrazy,” a term that now more accurately describes the peculiar nature of governance in Nigeria today?

The journey to June 12 as Democracy Day is steeped in resistance and sacrifice. It marks the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election, widely considered the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, where Chief Moshood Olawale Abiola was poised to become president. The military junta, however, nullified the results, plunging the nation into chaos and resistance. Abiola’s eventual arrest and mysterious death in custody symbolized the high cost of Nigeria’s democratic aspirations.

Following years of military rule, Nigeria returned to civilian governance on May 29, 1999. Initially celebrated as Democracy Day, May 29 was later replaced with June 12 in 2018 by President Muhammadu Buhari, in recognition of Abiola’s stolen mandate. This was a symbolic victory an attempt to correct historical injustice. However, despite this symbolic gesture, the substance of democracy remains missing.

More than two decades since the transition from military to civilian rule, Nigeria still struggles with the basic tenets of democracy. Governance in Nigeria has become a hustle, a scramble for power among the elites, with little or no regard for the will of the people. Elections are marred by widespread irregularities ballot box snatching, voter intimidation, vote buying, rigging, and lack of transparency. The dream of a free, fair, and credible electoral process remains largely elusive.

Today, democracy in Nigeria has turned into a government of the political elites, by the elites, and for the elites. The common people, the majority are relegated to mere spectators in a system that claims to represent them. Political offices are no longer positions of service but platforms for personal enrichment, protected by systemic impunity. The voices of the poor and marginalized are drowned in the noise of party politics and elite power struggles.

From independence in 1960 to the present, Nigeria’s major challenge has never been a lack of resources or talent. It has always been leadership or the lack of it. A revolving door of leaders who prioritize personal ambition over national interest has left the country in a perpetual state of underdevelopment. What we practice today is not democracy, but democrazy a system riddled with insane leadership tussles, irrational policies, and erratic governance. We are governed by leaders who are more interested in looting the nation than leading it.

Our institutions are weak, our judiciary compromised, our laws selectively applied, and our legislative bodies self-serving. The rule of law is often undermined, dissenting voices silenced, and opposition demonized. We have not just failed to deliver the dividends of democracy; we have failed to uphold its principles. We are in a crisis not just of governance but of national conscience.

To salvage this nation, we must undergo a collective awakening. The people must rise to reclaim the soul of Nigeria from autocratic, selfish, and corrupt leaders. The fight for democracy is not yet over; it must continue this time not just against military rule, but against a civilian class that behaves like a privileged aristocracy.

We must demand electoral reforms that ensure the sanctity of the vote. We must push for policies that reflect the will and needs of the people, not just the desires of a political few. We must insist on transparency, accountability, and inclusivity in leadership. Our democracy must reflect the dreams and aspirations of the masses, not just the ambitions of the elite.

Let us not allow Democracy Day to become a hollow ritual. Let it be a call to action. Let it remind us that true democracy is not given it is fought for, nurtured, and protected by the people. Let it inspire us to speak with one voice, to organize, and to build the Nigeria we want to see, a nation where leadership is a trust, elections are credible, policies are people-centered, and power truly belongs to the people.

This Democracy Day, let us choose to reflect, resist, and rebuild. The destiny of Nigeria lies not in the hands of the few, but in the collective will of the many. Let’s rise, not just in protest, but in purpose to reclaim our democracy, redefine our governance, and restore our nation.