The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has confessed that there is no true democracy in Nigeria, following the approval of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by the National Assembly.
Obi criticized the lawmakers’ use of voice votes for such an important decision and expressed deep concerns about the state of Nigeria’s democracy.
Obi, in a statement shared on social media, remarked, “The parliamentary vote held yesterday clearly demonstrates that democracy, in its true sense, does not exist in Nigeria. Where there is no functional opposition, democracy cannot thrive.” He lamented that the absence of a strong opposition party in Nigeria undermines the democratic system, making it difficult for the ruling party to be held accountable and for alternative viewpoints to be heard.
Obi further explained the importance of an effective opposition in a functional democracy, highlighting that opposition plays a key role in ensuring good governance and transparency. He pointed to countries like South Africa and Indonesia, where proportional representation in their parliaments ensures a balance of power. In these countries, politicians who defect from their parties face legal consequences, preserving party discipline and the integrity of the electoral process.
“In South Africa, for example, the National Assembly has 400 seats. The African National Congress (ANC) received about 40% of the vote and holds approximately 160 seats, while the Democratic Alliance (DA), with about 20% of the vote, holds around 80 seats—alongside several other parties,” Obi explained. “If that were the case in Nigeria, our Senate—comprising 109 seats—would be more reflective of electoral realities.”
Obi criticized the lack of restrictions on party defections in Nigeria, which he believes weakens the opposition and undermines the electorate’s trust in the democratic process. According to Obi, this failure to enforce party discipline has turned Nigeria’s democracy into a transactional system, where power is traded rather than earned.
“What we are left with is not a genuine democratic system, but one that is transactional, compromised, and, in many respects, resembles organised criminality,” Obi lamented. “Unless we urgently implement reforms to entrench true democratic principles, enforce party discipline, and ensure fair representation, Nigeria’s democracy will remain fragile and dysfunctional.”
Concluding his remarks, Obi reaffirmed his resolve to continue fighting for genuine democracy in Nigeria. “But we will not surrender to criminality. We shall continue to fight for democracy—genuine democracy,” he declared.