The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has called on political leaders to recommit to the principles of true democracy in Nigeria.
Obi issued this call in a statement via his verified X handle on Wednesday, emphasizing that democracy transcends mere elections and entails fulfilling the responsibilities of governance as outlined in the constitution.
He urged Nigerian leaders to respect and uphold the institutions of a democratic state by obeying the laws and being accountable to the people. Obi’s comments came ahead of the 2024 celebration of Democracy Day on June 12, a significant event marking Nigeria’s efforts towards democratic governance.
Obi expressed optimism about the creation of a genuine democratic society. He stated, “As our dear nation marks Democracy Day today, commemorating 25 years of striving to be a democratic country, the fundamental question for all of us remains: Are we truly democratic? As we build a New Nigeria, these tenets shall be the pillars of our true democracy. It is possible.”
The former presidential candidate also lamented Nigeria’s low rankings in various global indices, which he cited as indicators of the nation’s shortcomings in democracy. He highlighted several concerning statistics:
“To further illustrate that we are not truly democratic and have only produced the vices enumerated above, we are now ranked as follows:
In the measurement of democracy, we have a democracy index score of 4.23, which ranks us low on the Global Democracy Index. In the Corruption Perception Index, we are ranked 145th among the 180 countries measured, showing a high level of corruption in Nigeria.
In the Rule of Law Measurement, we are ranked 120th out of 142 countries measured in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, indicating that Nigeria suffers from gross disobedience to the rule of law.
The 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders describes Nigeria as one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists. Nigeria ranks 112th out of 180 countries where journalists are regularly monitored, attacked, and arbitrarily arrested. We are ranked 109th out of 125 countries measured on the Global Hunger Index,” he said.
Obi concluded by urging political leaders to use the commemoration of June 12 as a pivotal moment to return to true democratic values. “Let us, therefore, use the commemoration of June 12 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.
