JUNE 12, Nigeria’s Democracy Day, should not be reduced to a hollow historical ritual — a mere annual event to flatter the political ego of the sitting president. It must transcend being a platform for justifying government policy preferences but instead serve as an unfiltered forum for evaluating how economic, political, and social policies have either advanced or undermined democratic progress.
If progress has been made, June 12 should be a clarion call to sustain and deepen democracy. If regression has occurred — as is undeniably the case in Nigeria — it must serve as a day of reckoning, awakening the nation to the looming threats against democracy and the urgent need to counter them.
Tinubu’s reference to APC members as ‘progressives’ harks back to the party’s pre-2015 branding. But if a progressive is one genuinely committed to progress; the president must recognize that this narrative collapsed long ago. After abolishing fuel subsidies, suppressing protests against the soaring cost of living, and undermining major opposition parties, many Nigerians no longer view the APC — or its high-ranking members — as progressive.
This year’s Democracy Day should have been dedicated to political activism, sounding the alarm against the subtle imposition of a one-party system. The focus ought to have been on rallying global attention to this anomaly and the imperative of restoring democracy to its constitutional foundations — not merely glorifying the post-June 12 struggle.
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Since 1999, every regime has promised to elevate Nigeria’s democracy, yet only a few have demonstrated genuine commitment. The late President Umaru Yar’Adua openly acknowledged the fundamental flaws of the 2007 elections and initiated electoral reforms to sanitize the process. Former President Goodluck Jonathan built on these reforms, overseeing the first peaceful transfer of power to an opposition party.
In stark contrast, the first PDP administration and the APC’s so-called ‘change’ regimes paid mere lip service to democratic ideals while systematically suffocating the nation’s democratic spirit.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s (PBAT) statements on June 11 and 12 laid bare the state of Nigeria’s democracy. A day before Democracy Day, during a project inauguration in Abuja’s Katampe District, Tinubu jokingly — or perhaps not so jokingly — invited FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to join the APC, referring to its members as ‘progressives.’ The following day, in his address to the National Assembly, the president extolled the sacrifices of June 12 heroes and heroines, conferring national honours on some.
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In response to accusations of fostering a one-party state, PBAT defensively brandished his anti-single-party credentials. While it was commendable to honour those who fought for democracy with their blood, sweat, and freedom, Nigerians expected more substantive reflections on June 12.
Nigeria’s democracy remains an unfulfilled promise, perpetually stunted by the win-at-all-costs conspiracies of its political elite. Citizens are weary of this ‘promissory democracy,’ where leaders selectively uphold constitutional provisions to suit their interests. This politically-motivated cherry-picking erodes democratic norms, accelerating a recession Nigeria can ill afford at this critical juncture.
Wike’s ‘invitation’ to the APC was never meant to be accepted — he is far more useful to Tinubu’s agenda as a PDP stalwart. Despite the PDP’s efforts to avoid division, as the Wike faction had schemed, the party could not escape their political machinations. Bitter from his defeat in the PDP’s presidential primaries and his failure to secure the vice-presidential ticket, Wike formed the G5 group, which ultimately served the APC’s electoral interests. Empowered by his ministerial appointment and proximity to the president, Wike’s faction systematically crippled the PDP.
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Their allies in the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) rendered it ineffective, relentlessly targeting Senator Iyorchia Ayu — a founding member and G9 figure — until he was ousted as party chairman. More recently, they provoked another founding member, Alhaji Sule Lamido, into boycotting party meetings altogether.
Had Wike’s G5 defected to the APC outright, their sabotage of the PDP would have been less effective. Thus, PBAT’s ‘invitation’ was a tongue-in-cheek jest, emboldened by the mass defections weakening opposition parties.
Tinubu’s reference to APC members as ‘progressives’ harks back to the party’s pre-2015 branding. But if a progressive is one genuinely committed to progress; the president must recognize that this narrative collapsed long ago. After abolishing fuel subsidies, suppressing protests against the soaring cost of living, and undermining major opposition parties, many Nigerians no longer view the APC — or its high-ranking members — as progressive.
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In his June 12 address, PBAT declared that he had never supported, does not support, and will never support a one-party democracy in Nigeria. He cited the non-interference in party registrations as proof. Yet, with his party swelling through coerced defections and unconstitutional political manoeuvres, can he truly claim innocence in the push toward a single-party system? Most Nigerians would disagree.
Nigeria’s democracy remains an unfulfilled promise, perpetually stunted by the win-at-all-costs conspiracies of its political elite. Citizens are weary of this ‘promissory democracy,’ where leaders selectively uphold constitutional provisions to suit their interests. This politically-motivated cherry-picking erodes democratic norms, accelerating a recession Nigeria can ill afford at this critical juncture.
Had the president used his June 12 address to enforce constitutional provisions on party defections, it would have been a meaningful step toward democratic consolidation. It is not too late to steer Nigeria’s democracy from its hollow promises back to its constitutional path.
To reclaim his progressive credentials, PBAT must reverse all neoliberal policies inflicted on the nation.
Jahun, a public affairs commentator, writes from Dutse, Jigawa State. Reach him via 07039038088.
