Nigeria’s democracy must go beyond periodic elections, say PAACA

Nigeria’s democracy must go beyond periodic elections to deliver good governance and accountability to citizens, stakeholders in the country’s electoral process and leaders of civil society organisations have said.

This call was made at the National Conference on the Future of Democracy in Nigeria organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), held in Abuja.

The conference which was themed “Sustaining Democratic Reforms Beyond the Polls for Effective Governance,” brought together participants including representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), civil society organisations, academia, political parties, media, women and youth groups.

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu, Executive Director of PAACA, said the conference was both “timely and significant,” as it provided a platform for reflection and dialogue on how to make Nigeria’s democratic reforms enduring and citizen-centred.

“As a nation, Nigeria has made important strides in strengthening electoral integrity and broadening citizen participation, yet the journey toward a democracy that truly delivers for all its citizens is far from complete,” Nwagwu said.

“Our task today is to reflect, challenge ourselves and chart actionable pathways for sustaining reforms that will endure well beyond election cycles,” he added.

In his address, chairman of the occasion, Dr. Husseini Abdu, Country Director of CARE International, criticised the perception that periodic elections alone define democracy, noting the failure to connect democracy with accountability and citizens’ participation.

He said, “the perception is that once you have periodic elections, then you have democracy. Unfortunately, that is not true.

“The failure to actually connect democracy with public accountability and citizens participation is what led us to where we are today. Even the election itself, is continually undermined by the shenanigans and subterfuge of our politicians. Our democracy today is being run by people who don’t actually believe in democracy and that’s the problem we have in this country today; that the practitioners of this democracy don’t believe in it.

“Their relationship with democracy is to the extent that serves their interest. Once the interest is not guaranteed or the institutions and legal frameworks cannot guarantee that interest, they will work to undermine it. And we have seen that continually with our electoral laws. Every election season, we work really, really hard to get a new Electoral Act to support our elections, but that Act works only for one election season. By the next elections, they have perfected ways of undermining it, and in the next moment, you are thinking of another electoral Act.

“The challenge is not simply our electoral governance process. The challenge is the value of the people who are running the system. You have political parties who cannot conduct their own elections. They can’t manage themselves when they want to have a credible election. And that’s what makes conversations like this, very important.”

In his keynote address, the Benue Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Sam Egwu, spoke on “The Future of Democracy in Nigeria: Building Institutions that Outlast Elections.”

He noted that democracy in Nigeria faces the paradox of showing signs of consolidation while failing to meet citizens’ needs.

According to him, the gap between governance and people’s expectations must be bridged through institutional reforms, civic participation, and accountability mechanisms.

He emphasized that democracy and good governance are inseparable, adding that the World Bank’s evolution from skepticism to support for democracy reflects this global truth.

Prof. Egwu explained that Nigeria must enlarge the frontier of effective governance by rethinking liberal democracy and adapting it to local realities. He also pointed out that democracy is about the relationship between citizens and leaders one sustained by elections that reward integrity and punish mediocrity.

According to him, successive administrations have governed in breach of the constitution while pursuing liberal economic policies dictated by global financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), often to the detriment of Nigerians.

He said: “I argue that we need to continue to pursue a real democratisation agenda and go back to obey the constitution. If you read the 1999 constitution, which is lifted from the 1979 constitution, chapter two commits to the doctrine of democracy. Because it talks about the responsibility of government in terms of the welfare of citizens.

“It talks about the responsibilities to citizens in terms of health and education. All the presidents that have come since 1999 never obey the constitution.

“The 1999 Constitution commits Nigeria to a social democracy. What they have been doing is in breach of the constitution. They have advanced liberal economic policies that contradict its core provisions on social welfare, health, and education.

The INEC official noted that the excessive centralisation of power in the executive undermines Nigeria’s federal system, adding that this has left local governments powerless and disconnected from citizens.

While faulting the influence of international financial bodies on Nigeria’s economic direction, he lamented that the nation’s domestic policy space has been hijacked by the World Bank and IMF.

Egwu, who urged a rethink of Nigeria’s democracy, said civil society remains the true hero of the nation’s democratic journey but is currently weakened by lack of membership structure and dwindling funding.

He advocated the transformation of local government administration into a system that directly connects authorities with citizens to decide development priorities.

On his part, former presidential candidate, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, said many Nigerians are losing faith in democracy because it has failed to improve their lives.

According to him, during recent protests in the country, some young people carried the flags of Russia and China because they believe democracy has failed them.

Olawepo-Hashim, said Nigeria’s political parties have become mere vehicles for personal ambition rather than platforms for ideas or social reform.

He called for a truly independent electoral body and political system that guarantees credible elections and accountable governance.

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