Nigeria’s 25 Years of Democracy: A Flawed Celebration

By Abdullahi D. Hassan

Absurd. Disarray. Malfeasance. Insecure. Penury. All five words are basic descriptions of Nigeria. On May 29 1999, the country transitioned to democratic governance. After over three decades of hiatus of military dictatorship that denoted suppression of political activists, restricted freedom of speech and press, neglecting democratic values, international sanctions, economic ineffectiveness and callous corruption.

On the inception of Non-military government, the nation borrowed the United States style of governance to accentuate; federalism, democracy, separation of powers, rule of law individual rights and inclusiveness of each ethnic group across the plural territory.

At the infancy stage of Nigeria’s re-affirming the constitutional government. United States President Bill Clinton paid state visits to Nigeria spanned three days from August 26th to 28th 2000. In the course of Clinton’s diplomatic tour engaged with key Nigerian leaders, including ex-president  Olusegun Obasanjo to deliberate various on politics, and economics and paved a solution of stupendous debt, approximately over $30 billion in that timeframe.

Post-Clinton’s visit to Nigeria marked a turning point in the country's history and its integrity rekindled in the global space. The nation benefited from debt relief schemes; Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC), Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) and significant debt relief from bilateral and multilateral creditors including the Paris Club (creditor nations), the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). The segment of Nigeria’s debt was forgiven.

The complicated Nigeria’s constitution validated. Zamfara was implementing Sharia law and other eleven states in the Northern locale. By reverting to the ordinance and laws of the Quran and Hadiths. Numerous human rights organisations challenged and criticised the new system.

Following the adoption of Sharia brothels, pubs, and cinemas were clampdown and the mixing of men and women in public transport was divided. Some states established to create a morality police squad (Hisbah). Yet, the dynamics between Sharia law and federal law remain cumbersome.

Before elapsed of first tenure (4 years), the country was encompassed by sequels of peculiarities, grafts, religious feuds, and ethnic tensions including falsified age and academic credentials by Salisu Buhari, a House of Representatives speaker, who claimed he graduated from the University of Toronto. The Premeditated killing of Bola Ige, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Nigeria, under the governance of Presidential Obasanjo. The crime shocked the country linger unsolved and led to mysterious and conspiracy theories. Additionally, occurrences of brutal ethno-religious conflicts among Christians and Muslims in Kaduna and Jos resulted in dead of hundreds of thousands of people, casualties and loss of property.

Yet, another manifestation irritated Muslims faithful mainly core northerners. The Sequential of Isioma Daniel, a staff writer with ThisDay, newspaper. For critiquing northern Muslims concerning objections to hosting the ‘Miss World Beauty Pageant’ in Nigeria by conservative Muslim groups. From the central idea of the text, Muslims apprehended as a blasphemy to Islam and prophet Mohammed. The assertion led to violent protests in Kaduna, the office was razed and more than 200 died. Zamfara’s then-deputy governor, Mamuda Ali Shinkafi told religious leaders in the state “Like Salman Rushdie, the blood of Isioma Daniel can be shed”. Thus, the pageant was held in London.

After President Olusegun Obasanjo lost his self-interest bid for the third term incumbency. ‘Autocratic Greediness [Sic]’. Umar Yar’Adua with a grave health condition emerged as the People’s Democratic Party (P.D.P) presidential flagbearer through dubious party primaries. Delta governor, James Ibori, one of the rich oil states bankrolled the campaign.

President Yar’Adua is a quasi-free corrupt Nigeria’s leader in 25 years of democracy absurdity. Seven Point Agenda was set up; Power and Energy, Food Security, Wealth Creation, Transport Sector and Education. The seven-mentioned agendum, owing to corrupt philosophy and cabalistic politics. Corruption was overlooked for the protection of the political class, contrary to working-class citizens.

Nonetheless, Goodluck Jonathan succeeded Yar’Adua as acting and later Head of State. He inherited hydra-headed security threats of Boko Haram fundamentalists from his ex-boss naivety to clandestine Nigeria’s system. President Jonathan completed Yar’Adua in two years. Some northern political class from P.D.P disagreed. Because there is a power rotation agreement then, within the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Jonathan should yield the presidential vacuum for a northerner to accomplish the remaining of late Yar’Adu tenure. Although, Jonathan's run in the 2011 elections defeated Major General Muhammadu Buhari of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) by remarkable votes.

Outlandish activities that characterised Jonathan’s administration are various controversial phenomena. Among such scandals is the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s proclamation that $20 billion of oil revenue was diverted from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). And lack of courage and Iron hand with leadership temerity to get rid of the ‘Fuel Subsidy Scam’ in 2012. No matter, the consequences of widespread protest across the country by ‘Occupy Nigeria’, a defunct socio-political movement.

Another mirage that shocks Jonathan's oversight of intricate Nigeria’s affairs is cronyism traits. For case in point, the state pardon of Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, Bayelsa state governor, his old principal and deputy-governor. The state governor was arrested in London on charges of money laundering, pretext as a woman and returned to Nigeria, contempt prosecution in the United Kingdom and impeached from his seat by the state assembly. At the moment, the country is facing serious security vulnerability because Boko Haram terrorists are killing innocent people and establishing suzerainty in northeast states, Adamawa, Maiduguri and Yobe.

Amid, a state of emergency declaration in the northeast. The Boko Haram extremists intensified their horrendous acts of violent activities, including chains of bombings, assassinations, and abductions, and the unfortunate kidnapping of 270 schoolgirls from Chibok town in April 2014. Hitherto, the mishandling and slow response of Chibok girls amplified global solidarity through the #BringBackOurGirls movement, immense burden to fall upon Jonathan’s administration and leading to the loss of second term bid to Muahammadu Buhari of All Progressive Congress (APC).

The phenomenal, Muhammadu Buhari, a former military junta became president, proceeding to four attempts. The People’s General was fondly called. It took him six months to select the ministerial cabinets. Therefore, the first term of Buhari’s tenure was marked with obscure governmental dealings; frequent medical trips crowned himself as ‘Minister of Petroleum’, the worst economic recession in decades, irrational closure of land borders, inactive response to Fulani herdsmen and farmers' violence and killings and nepotistic appointment of his kinsmen and brethren in security architect of Nigeria. Meanwhile, lethargic reactions to Boko Haram jihadists and evolved of banditry.

Notwithstanding, the unwavering patriotism, transparency, and rigid principle of Buhari are just a qualm. Besides, Hanan Buhari, his daughter flew in one of Nigeria’s presidential jets to Bauchi state for a Photography exhibition project. What is more? Foreground to the privileges and improper use of government resources.

The two-term President Buhari is partially a globetrotting ruler ever headed Nigeria. As if, Lemuel Gulliver to undoable meetings, summits, conferences, diplomatic engagements, were strengthening bilateral relations, promoting trades, bootlick for debt bondage and pressing issues for the global sakes. Yet, all the travel couldn’t be replicated in security, rule of law, public services, economic stability, social welfare and public health.

The current political dispensation of the All Progressive Congress (APC) came to the spotlight via a conduit of religious politics contradictory to secular traditional politics. Moreover, the two fragile Abrahamic beliefs were divided into abstract adversaries rather than compatriots.

, Bola Tinubu grabbed the mantle of governance following fierce criticism and opposition primarily on his personality, governorship years in Lagos and university degree worthiness. On 29th May 2023, president Tinubu was sworn in. From his inaugural address remarks “Fuel Subsidy has gone”. The statement worsened the bitter predicament of millions of Nigerians who were plunged into multidimensional poverty, hyperinflation and lack of deficit basic amenities. 

In the aforementioned overview of recent Nigeria’s presidents, each has a remarkable idiosyncrasy of corruption, opaque transparency and accountability, violation of human rights, weak rule of law, political instability, economic mismanagement, nepotistic orientation among the elite, marginalisation of less privileged citizens and poor policies for the betterment of common man. Those factors are Armageddon to country sovereignty.