The former lead representative of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has portrayed Nigeria’s democracy as “fast losing its essence” because of profound necked poverty ravaging the country.
He unveiled this in a post on his social media handle.
As per him, the number of Nigerians living in destitution is disturbing, a situation which he said democracy was supposed to address.
He expressed, “With about 100 million Nigerians living in absolute poverty and 150 million in multidimensional poverty, democracy is fast losing its essence if it fails to address the fundamental needs of its citizens, particularly in critical areas such as health, education, and poverty alleviation.”
He called on leaders to address poverty in the land by focusing on and reinforcing independent institutions and delivering of economic progress to the people.
“We must confront the fundamental question: is democracy truly addressing the needs of Nigerians? Are we building institutions that uphold accountability, justice, and fairness? To achieve a functional democracy, we must prioritize strengthening independent institutions, fostering governance that delivers economic and social progress, encouraging active citizenship to hold leaders accountable, and empowering our youth as drivers of nation-building.
“As Nelson Mandela once said, “As long as poverty, injustice, and inequality exist, none of us can truly rest.” Now is the time to deepen democracy and build a better future for all Nigerians. Amid the rise of coups across Africa and the growing fragility of democracies globally, it is evident that democracy cannot thrive without trust, robust institutions, and a steadfast commitment to the welfare of the people.”
He contended that for democracy in Africa to flourish beyond its current fragile state, it must operate within its fundamental tenets, going beyond stylized elections. This requires building critical institutions that command trust and deliver outright regard for the people’s will.
“Governance can only deliver tangible benefits when the will of the people prevails,” he added.
