As part of activities to celebrate 26 years of Nigeria’s unbroken democracy, Channels Television on Thursday hosts a forum to evaluate the journey of democracy since the country’s return from military rule to democracy.
Our special June 12 event tagged ‘Nigeria’s Democratic Journey: An Inter-Generational Conversation On Building A Better Nation’ celebrates the sacrifice of heroes past.
Guests at the forum include Kayode Fayemi, Usman Bugaje, Frank Nweke, Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, Jamiu Abiola, Kate Henshaw, and Bello El-Rufai.
The National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ismaeel Ahmed, has stated that government reforms must be accompanied by empathy and effective grassroots engagement to ensure public understanding and acceptance.
Ahmed stated this while speaking at a special Democracy Day lecture held at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday, as part of events commemorating Nigeria’s 26 years of unbroken democracy.
The event was themed “Consolidating on the Gains of Nigeria’s Democracy: Necessity of Enduring Reforms”.
Ahmed said that while tough economic policies were often necessary, they become more acceptable when citizens understand the reasons behind them.
“I think these economic reforms, decisions, or policies that are sound are usually unpopular because they are tough. The people who have the responsibility of explaining them to the general public are not just government appointees, but those elected by the people,” he said.
Kehinde, an animal feed seller at the Kara cattle market, says sales haven’t been encouraging. (Photo by Nosakhale Akhimien / Channels Television)“The President and the Vice President need to move around the country and talk to people directly. When people are going through pain, they want to hear from those they cast their votes for — that matters a lot,” the APC chieftain.
READ ALSO:Tinubu’s ‘Audacious’ Reforms Rescued Nigeria’s Economy From Tipping Point — Soludo
According to him, while policies may be technically sound, their communication must be humanised and decentralised to foster public understanding.
“Reforms are necessary, but they have to come with empathy. What does empathy mean? It means ‘I feel your pains, I understand what you are going through.’
“The moment people understand why, it becomes easier for them to endure the how. But that has to come from elected officials — governors, the President, Vice President, and members of the National Assembly.
FILE: President Bola Tinubu at the National Assembly.
“It has to be more than just talking in Abuja or making policy statements. It has to cascade. Policy prescriptions are usually technical; you need to break them down. That’s why you need politicians to speak to the people and carry the message downwards,” he stated.
‘Sub-Nationals Have A Role’
When asked whether such expectations place too much responsibility on the Presidency, Ahmed said sub-national governments also have a critical role to play and must not shift blame solely to the Federal Government.
“I heard a governor three weeks ago telling his people that the removal of fuel subsidy was a Federal Government decision. That’s not right — he has received more money as a result but is not telling them that part. Engagement is what democracy is all about.
“There have to be people at every level holding those in power to account. Unfortunately, we have more of that at the national level. Civil society is more responsive at the national level, and the media is more responsive at the national level — and sub-nationals get away with a lot of things,” he said.
Ahmed’s remarks come amid growing public frustration over the impact of reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since assuming office in May 2023.
A worker fills the tank of a motorcycle at a petrol station. (Photo by SIMON MAINA / AFP)
These include the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of foreign exchange rates — policies that, while intended to stabilise the economy long-term, have led to soaring energy prices, transportation costs, and food inflation.
A professor of Political Science, Samuel Egwu, has stressed the need for Nigeria to address the problem of poverty, saying that reinforcing democracy is critical to achieving that objective.
He said this while delivering the keynote lecture at a Democracy Day lecture at the State House in Abuja on Thursday as part of events to celebrate the 2025 Democracy Day.
Egwu, who is a Resident Electoral Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said a nation as endowed as Nigeria should not be the poverty capital of the world.
READ ALSO:Nigeria Stands As Democratic Example Despite West Africa Coups, Says Akume
“How come that a country so endowed with resources, with human capacity, and with good people will today have the largest deposit of poorest people, it is something we need to think through. This country has been declared the poverty capital of the world, andthis is something that is not good for us.
“And we have less population than China and India and then look at the percentage of people that are in extreme poverty, look at the fragile state index and all other key indicators for development, we are not doing well. And that is why we need to reinforce our democracy so that we can address these challenges,” he said.
The guest lecturer asserted that the problem of poverty in the country was a cumulative consequence of the failure of post-colonial Nigeria which everyone should feel guilty of for not doing what was needed to stop it.
Going forward, the professor said that what Nigeria needed was a paradigm shift in terms of governance, democratic governance, and statecraft.
Speaking further, Egwu expressed the need for the President to put his weight behind the autonomy of the state assemblies in the ongoing constitutional reform agenda.
According to him, that will change the narrative of governance at the subnational level.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, says that despite the many military takeovers in West Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria remains a shining example of a nation upholding the tenets of democracy for 26 unbroken years.
“At a period when many African countries are sliding back into military rule and dictatorship, Nigeria is powering forward in democratic rule,” Akume said at a Democracy Day Lecture at the State House in Abuja on Thursday as part of events to celebrate the 2025 Democracy Day.
“Even though we have not attained the democratic height envisioned, we are confident that our path is straight and would lead us to our desired destination,” he said at the event which has its theme as ‘Consolidating on the Gains of Nigeria’s Democracy: Necessity of Enduring Reforms’.
In the last five years, West and Central Africa have recorded over 10 coup attempts since the August 2020 military takeover in Mali.
Aside from Mali, military juntas have also replaced elected leaders in Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, and Gabon. Earlier in 2025, the trio of Mali, Niger Republic and Burkina Faso pulled out of regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Akume commended all heroes of democracy, both dead and alive, for their struggle for a new Nigeria.
“Today’s celebration would not have been possible but for the commitment and determination of ordinary Nigerian citizens who stood strong in the face of military oppression, brutality, and rights denial,” he said.
“The June 12 struggle was a watershed as millions of our countrymen and women poured out on the streets. From the towns and villages, the cries for democracy and just governance were a movement. That is the June 12 struggle. That movement gave birth to the new democratic regime.”
[READ ALSO] June 12: ‘Call Me Names,’ Tinubu Promises To Defend Free Speech
According to him, Nigeria owes the heroes of democracy a debt of gratitude for having endured the brutality of military officers, the imprisonments, the humiliation, and even for paying the supreme price.
The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), led by Fegalo Nsuke, has expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for granting a posthumous presidential pardon to the nine Ogoni rights activists executed by the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha in 1995.
Those granted pardon include Ken Saro-Wiwa, Nubari Kiobel, Nordu Eawo, Saturday Doobee, John Kpuinen, Paul Levura, Daniel Gbokoo, Felix Nuate, and Baribor Bera.
Nsuke, in a statement, described the pardon as a historic and courageous act of national reckoning and a vital step toward healing the deep wounds inflicted on the Ogoni people and the Nigerian conscience.
READ ALSO: Ogoni Nine: Tinubu Grants Presidential Pardon To Ken Saro Wiwa, Eight Others
He said President Tinubu had distinguished himself by responding with compassion and boldness to a long-standing demand for justice from marginalised people.
He said the President’s acknowledgment of the grave injustice done to the Ogoni Nine, especially the statement that their execution should never have happened, has been met with gratitude both within Nigeria and around the world.
He, however, added that while the presidential pardon was an important milestone, it inherently suggested that a crime was committed and forgiven.
He maintained that in the case of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his compatriots, no crime ever took place, adding that their convictions were the result of a deeply flawed, politically motivated process lacking in fairness or due process.
He, therefore, urged President Tinubu to go a step further by initiating a process for the full exoneration of the Ogoni Nine by setting up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
He said, “Such an exoneration would be a stronger moral and legal correction, ensuring that their names are no longer burdened by the stain of injustice.
Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has warned against rushing into full adoption of electronic voting in Nigeria, citing serious gaps in infrastructure and technology.
Speaking at The Platform held in Lagos on Thursday to commemorate Nigeria’s Democracy Day, Professor Jega said that while the country must scale up the use of technology in its electoral processes, it must do so cautiously and realistically.
“We have to understand the need to make haste slowly,” Jega said. “We want to scale up the use of technology, but if we do a realistic assessment, we’ll see there are a lot of gaps in technology infrastructure, which will constrain how far we can go.”
He compared Nigeria’s situation to that of Estonia, a small European country known for advancement in electronic voting “Estonia uses the internet for voting, but it’s a very small country with far better infrastructure. In Nigeria, we’re still struggling with internet service even in major cities, not to mention rural areas that are terribly underserved,” he noted.
Jega also stressed that Nigeria’s lack of local equipment manufacturing poses a further setback. “We’re not even equipment manufacturers, and you need a certain level of relative independence. Otherwise, you become hostage to external suppliers.”
According to him, India, even with its stronger technological capacity, still does not use electronic voting, but relies on mechanical voting systems.
