Former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has declared that Nigeria successfully established civilian rule in 1999 but has yet to achieve real democracy as the nation commemorates Democracy Day on June 12.
Speaking during a Channels Television special June 12 event titled 'Nigeria's Democratic Journey: An Inter-Generational Conversation On Building A Better Nation', Fayemi cautioned against equating elections with democracy.
"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.
The former governor further explained his perspective on Nigeria's current political system: "We got civilian rule, we are proudly on the journey — we now have a semi-democracy, but now we don't have full democracy."
Building on Democratic Progress
Despite his critique, Fayemi acknowledged the efforts made by previous administrations and the current government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He emphasized that all Nigerians must contribute to strengthening the nation's democratic foundations.
"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 comments come as Nigeria celebrates Democracy Day, which commemorates the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election widely regarded as the freest and fairest in the country's history, though its results were later annulled by the military government.
The celebration serves as a reminder of Nigeria's democratic journey and the sacrifices made by pro-democracy activists in the struggle against military rule.
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