The Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA) has lamented that Nigeria’s democracy is not serving the interests of the citizens.
According to the group, the dream of Nigerians to benefit from democracy has been thwarted due to the actions of the political class.
NPSA has therefore declared that Nigeria’s democracy needs to undergo fundamental adjustments for it to cater to the interests of the citizens.
The National President of NPSA, Prof Hassan Saliu, in a press statement titled, ‘Nigeria’s Democracy@26: Citizens Are not Smiling’, lamented that despite efforts by successive governments in Nigeria to improve the lives of Nigerians, Nigeria’s democracy has been fraught with challenges which has made benefits of democracy not to be evenly distributed.
According to Prof. Saliu, factors such as the dictatorial tendencies of democratic leaders due to a military hangover, the self-serving interests of the ruling elite, and the sluggish implementation of policies that would benefit citizens have affected the effectiveness of Nigeria’s democracy.
He also listed other factors frustrating Nigeria’s democracy to include overreliance on neoliberal policies, fixation on politics as a business venture rather than public service, lack of political ideologies, and divisive politics, which undermine national unity.
Saliu, a Professor of International Relations, pointed out that the slow progress of Nigeria’s democracy has led to credibility issues with the election process, undemocratic political parties, political defections, and dominance by a single party.
The university don further averred that budget padding, erosion of the middle class, poverty and unemployment, debt accumulation, and stress in democratic practice are consequences of the underperformance of Nigeria’s democracy.
Saliu added that investments in non-impactful projects, promotion of primordial interests, rancorous politics, and subservient legislature are also a fallout of a democracy in distress.
‘’Given these challenges, the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA) is concerned about the state of democracy in the country. The NPSA notes that democracy has largely served the interests of the ruling elite, while the majority of citizens have not benefited significantly.
‘’To address these issues, it is essential to reorient the political system towards developmental politics, prioritising citizens’ needs. Fundamental adjustments are necessary to ensure democracy delivers benefits to all Nigerians, not just a privileged few. The reality of democracy in Nigeria today is that it has not prioritised the people.