Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, says democracy is dying in Nigeria because it no longer serves the people or holds leaders accountable.
Obi spoke at the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Annual Democracy Dialogue in Accra, Ghana, with the theme ‘What Makes Democracy Die?’
He said democracy “dies when it ceases to be accountable to the people and when it no longer prioritises their needs”.
The ex-Anambra governor described Nigeria as a “typical example of where democracy is dying”, adding that it has become a process of “elite state capture” for personal and family interests.
“Today, 17th September, I participated in an international Conference in Accra, Ghana, organised by the 2025 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Annual Democracy Dialogue with the theme ‘What Makes Democracy Die?,” Obi wrote on X.
“Democracy is fundamentally about accountability, prioritising service to the people, ensuring security, providing education and healthcare, and lifting people out of poverty.
“Democracy dies when it ceases to be accountable to the people and when it no longer prioritises their needs.
“Nigeria is a typical example of where democracy is dying because it no longer serves the needs of the people and is no longer accountable to them.
“In Nigeria, democracy has become a process of elite state capture, granting access to public resources for personal and family interests.”
He said reversing the trend requires citizens to take elections seriously by electing leaders with competence, capacity, character, compassion, and commitment to service.
The opposition politician’s comment comes as President Bola Tinubu lifts the six-month emergency rule imposed on Rivers state.
Obi said the emergency rule was a misstep.
“The restoration of democracy in Rivers State after six months of needless disruption remains a sour side of our democracy today,” he added.
“It was a constitutional breach that will hurt our democracy for a long time. I just hope that some lessons were learned by all the gladiators in the Rivers State impasse.
“Great minds remind us that ‘the only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing’. A true leader is the one who admits his/her mistakes, is smart enough to learn from them, and is strong enough to correct them.”
