Anifowose Samson
As Nigeria commemorated Democracy Day on Thursday, former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, asserted that the country is yet to achieve genuine democracy, despite returning to civilian rule in 1999.
Addressing journalists, Fayemi highlighted the crucial difference between conducting elections and practicing real democratic governance.
He pointed out that while Nigerians regained the right to vote over two decades ago, democratic ideals such as accountability, inclusiveness, and institutional integrity remain largely elusive.
“What we mustn’t do is to conflate elections with democracy. What we got was to reestablish the right to vote for our leaders into office in 1999; what we are yet to get is real democracy in my view,” Fayemi stated.
He continued, “We got civilian rule, we are proudly on the journey — we now have a semi-democracy, but now we don’t have full democracy.”
Fayemi commended the roles played by past leaders and acknowledged current efforts by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in pushing democratic reforms.
However, he maintained that more work must be done by both government and citizens to advance the nation’s democratic journey.
“The effort that the previous president and now President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has put into it, we all must build on that,” he added.
Fayemi’s remarks come amid growing concerns over democratic backsliding in Nigeria, with critics increasingly questioning the state of civic freedoms, electoral integrity, and governance transparency.
His call for deeper reforms and active citizen participation adds to a chorus of voices demanding that Nigeria move beyond electoral rituals and embrace the core principles of democracy in practice.
