The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in last year’s elections, Peter Obi, has stated that Nigeria is not practising true democracy and has deteriorated into dictatorship and classical state capture.
Obi made this statement on Wednesday in a series of posts on his X handle, commenting on this year’s June 12 Democracy Day commemoration.
He highlighted that leadership failures have led to uncontrolled systemic corruption, high levels of insecurity, a lack of freedom of speech, increasing poverty rates, and unprecedented levels of hunger and hardship.
“While we may say that in 1999, we started in earnest in the right direction, today we have deteriorated into what can be classified as classical state capture. Instead of benefiting all, it has become a deprivation for all.
“The consequences of not being a true democracy have led to leadership failures that have resulted in uncontrolled systemic corruption, high levels of insecurity, a lack of freedom of speech, increasing poverty rates, and unprecedented levels of hunger and hardship, which remain unsolved and are growing geometrically,” Obi said.
He argued that true democracy should be people-oriented, where citizens’ rights are respected, laws are obeyed, leaders remain accountable to the people, and the welfare and care of the people, especially the poor, are paramount and high priorities. “Unfortunately, the opposite is the case in our situation,” he noted.
Obi also listed metrics that show Nigeria is not truly democratic and has only produced vices.
He called for the June 12 commemoration to be used as an occasion to return to a truly democratic nation. “We achieved that feat on June 12, 1993, by collectively voting for democracy in Nigeria. We must stand in defence of Nigeria’s democracy today,” he added.
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