…Says Democracy Dying as Leaders No Longer Serve the People
By Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Nnewi
NNEWI — Former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the last general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has warned that democracy in Nigeria is under grave threat, lamenting that it has been hijacked by the elite and reduced to a tool for state capture.
Obi, in a statement released in Onitsha by his media aide, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, said this while delivering a keynote address at the 2025 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Annual Democracy Dialogue in Accra, Ghana, themed “What Makes Democracy Die?”
He described democracy as a system rooted in accountability, service to the people, security, education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation, but regretted that Nigeria’s democratic practice had strayed far from these ideals.
“Democracy in Nigeria is under threat because it no longer serves the people or holds leaders accountable,” Obi declared. “Regrettably, it has been reduced to a tool for elite state capture, granting access to public resources for private and family interests.”
According to him, democracy dies when leaders stop prioritising citizens’ needs and institutions cease to uphold accountability. “Nigeria is a typical example of this tragic reality,” he added.
The former presidential candidate stressed that reversing the decline of democracy in Nigeria would require the electorate to take governance and elections seriously by voting only for leaders with competence, capacity, character, compassion, and commitment to service.
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