democratic practices will attain maturity in the next 25 years.
Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, a former presidential aide, and
Justice Osai Ahiakwo, a lawyer and public affairs analyst, issued separate
statements to mark Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
Both agreed that Nigeria’s democracy and its institutions
are young and even embryonic, requiring time and patience.
Obono-Obla said, “In May 2049, which is 25 years from now,
democratic civil rule in Nigeria will have attained maturity and democratic culture
and values more ingrained in our institutions. It will then usher economic
growth, development and prosperity.”
He stated that no matter how imperfect our democracy is
presently, there is a glimmer of hope that is better than military
dictatorship.
He maintained that 25 years in the life of a human being is
nothing but a learning curve and process.
The former special assistant on prosecution to former
President Buhari said that the earlier 26 years of unbridled military
dictatorship in the country that resulted in the country becoming a pariah
nation, among the comity of nations in the world, really set the country back.
In his own reflection, Justice Ahiakwo said despite
attaining 25 years since returning to democracy, there has not been true reflection
of the government of the people.
He believed that most of the general elections conducted
during these 25 years were not really a reflection of the people’s desires.
“The electioneering processes adopted in the past 25 years
do not have a true reflection of a government of the people, by the people, and
for the people.”
According to him, the voices of the people are not heard
through the ballot boxes.
He expressed disappointment that politicians are still
adopting the same dictatorial military approach even though the soldiers had
since left the political scene.
The lawyer said the high rate of rigging and other electoral
malpractices were still noticeable, resulting in the huge deficit in the
commitment to electing the people’s choices of leaders.
He thinks that politicians in most cases do go against
upholding the rule of law during the adjudication of election matters.
Ahiakwo has therefore canvassed for a review in order to
change the narrative so that Nigerians can be proud of a true democratic
system.
But he has envisioned that the country has the prospects for
the future where it will be reckoned with as a world power if the political
actors can get democratic institutions strengthened.
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