Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has criticised the state of Nigeria’s democracy, saying the country can no longer be regarded as a democratic nation.
Obi, in a speech on Democracy Day on Thursday, said the essential principles of democracy are absent in the current form of governance in Nigeria.
“Most unfortunately in our present state, our dear country Nigeria cannot be classified as a democratic country. Democracy is said to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Yet, none of these three measures exist in our democracy today,” Obi said.
Obi questioned the electoral process, claiming that laws and procedures for participation are often broken.
“People who are not qualified and ought to be disqualified are now holding public offices,” he said.
Speaking on the symbolic significance of June 12 in Nigeria’s democratic struggle, Obi expressed concern that the country, under the current administration, has seen a broad erosion of democratic values in just two years.
“It is deeply troubling that under the present administration, in a short span of two years, our nation has witnessed a broad erosion of democratic principles,” he said.
He emphasised a corresponding deterioration in security, economic stability, and social services, including education and healthcare.
“We have traversed from rigged elections to collapsing social services, from soaring poverty to rising corruption, and from a seemingly stable economy to a parallel economy,” Obi stated.
Obi accused the federal government of manipulating public perception rather than addressing the challenges bedevilling the nation.
“Rather than show genuine accountability and measure good progress, [the government] focuses on manipulating the narratives, gaslighting the public, shifting blame, and weaponising governance,” he said.
The former governor of Anambra State also cited economic statistics to back his claims.
According to him, Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has nosedived from $364 billion in May 2023 to $188 billion, while per capita income has dropped from $1,640 to $835.
“Nigerians living in poverty have increased from 38.9% to 54%. Within this period, 129 million Nigerians now live below the poverty line,” he added.
He noted that a World Bank report showed that 75% of Nigerians in rural areas now live below the poverty line.
Obi also lamented the state of education and healthcare in Nigeria.
“Today, we have 18.3 million children out of school, the highest in the world. Our children are now being taught science without science labs and computers without computers. They are now taking exams in darkness with candles,” he said.
Speaking on healthcare, he quoted the National Primary Health Care Development Agency as saying that less than 20% of over 30,000 primary healthcare centres across the country are functional.
“I recently visited somewhere there are delivery rooms without toilets,” Obi added.
He concluded that Nigeria is “declining fast in all its facets”, warning that the rule of law has become virtually non-existent and that governance is failing to meet the basic needs of the people.
