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Concerns About Democracy Collapsing in Nigeria. What’s Next?

They started in 199, and laid the foundation. Some people came and took it to the decking while others were trying to raise it to the first floor. And then, some people came and knocked everything down. That is the situation we are now. Everything has been knocked down.

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” Democracy will work if the actors play by the rules. It’s work in progress. Under OBJ (Obasanjo), state of emergency was declared. The NASS worked together to ensure that 2/3 majority passed the emergency. Each member had to vote. “In this same NASS we have the same constitution. What happened in the last one? We need to chase out the bad operators in democracy.”

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, including  the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate,  Peter Obi,  have strongly voiced out that Democracy is collapsing in Nigeria.

Nigeria became a demoratic country in 199, with Obasanjo as its first democratically elected president.

But 26 years down the journey, several eminent Nigerians, former governors and past public office holders are now  expressing fears over the falling standards of democracy in Nigeria.

They voiced their fears during a colloquium held at the Abuja Intercontinental Hotel to mark the 60th birthday celebration of former Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, which was chaired by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Also in attendance were former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi; former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; and the immediate past Governor of Katsina, Aminu Masari.

In his keynote address titled ‘Is Democracy Failing in Africa?’ Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, lamented that it seemed like Nigeria’s democracy only worked for a few selected persons.

Kukah said: “We as Africans inherited a system that is not ours, but we can’t say it is not relevant to us. There are differences between democracy in Asia and that of Africa. I feel sorry for the judges. At the last election, even small me, I had people calling me, complaining, talk to this, talk to that.

“There was pressure on judges to deliver justice. I agree that there’s an urgent need to clean up the mess. Democracy is about everything, and it’s about justice. Democracy and its principles are endless contestations.

There are certain things God has given us which people can’t control.”Kukah urged politicians to borrow a leaf from the cat-and-mouse relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku, which he said also helped to deepen democracy. “The relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku is like a Catholic marriage. You will quarrel without breaking up… “Democracy is a work in progress.”

On his part, Obasanjo said that what Africa was practising today’s a mere reflection of ‘representative democracy.’ .

Abraham Lincoln describes it as a government of the people, by the people and for the people. But what do we have today? The Greek democracy affects everyone. Democracy has now become representative democracy and it hasn’t taken care of everyone.

“Democracy in Africa has failed because it’s not African, it didn’t have our culture and way of lives. You will say, ‘go to court’ when you know that you can’t get justice.Democracy is dying in Africa and to save it, it should be made in the context of Africa,” Obasanjo said.

Peter Obi asserted that many progressive-minded leaders from 1999 have been striving to raise the bar of the country’s democracy to an enviable height

Peter Obi, submitted: “They started democracy in 199, and laid the foundation. Some people came and took it to the decking while others were trying to raise it to the first floor. And then, some people came and knocked everything down. That is the situation we are now. Everything has been knocked down.

Nothing works. I am somebody who can say this exemplarily. I became a governor through the court when President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar were in government.I did not pay the court one naira.

I was sitting in my office and the court declared me the winner when the governor was hosting them.

It can’t happen in Nigeria today… So, democracy has failed. Let’s talk about how to rebuild it because it is collapsing.”

at the event, Atiku reflected on the price many leaders paid for the realisation of democratic rule. “In my case, I ran into exile because Abacha was very hostile,” he said.

The former Vice President, however, praised Ihedioha for remaining loyal despite belonging to different political platforms. “

Emeka and I have kept this relationship and till today I have found him extremely loyal, dedicated and focused even though sometimes we found ourselves on different political divides but we kept our relationship and I think that testifies with the kind of person Emeka is,” he said.

The former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal believes Nigerians can make democracy thrive as long as everybody is willing to play their roles.

Tambuwal, who condemned the recent state of emergency imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, criticised the National Assembly for the unconstitutional manner it approved it.

He said, “Democracy will work if the actors play by the rules. It’s work in progress. Under OBJ (Obasanjo), state of emergency was declared. The NASS worked together to ensure that 2/3 majority passed the emergency. Each member had to vote. “In this same NASS we have same constitution. What happened in the last one? We need to chase out the bad operators in democracy.”

The former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, however, said it was high time Nigeria reviewed the 1999 Constitution to address the plethora of problems plaguing its structure. According to him, the country cannot afford to lose its enviable status in the international community.

“As Commonwealth Secretary-General, I helped members to transit to multi-party democracy. We need a new constitution to address many challenges.

True federalism is the answer to the management of national issues. The recent coups in Mali and Niger tend to take us back. “The nature of our politics and the conduct of our politicians is another problem of our democracy. They have become instruments of capturing political power.

It’s only true, stable democratic governance that can rid our country of the crises which impede development. “I believe that Nigeria can change this Eurocentric narrative. We in Africa and Nigeria have a responsibility to get a stable democracy and change the Eurocentric narrative,” he stated.

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Entertainment

Regina Daniels Declares Family Crisis, Calls Ned Nwoko Ex-Husband, Vows to Fight for Her Children [VIDEO]

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Nollywood actress Regina Daniels has finally explained the crisis rocking her marriage with Senator Ned Nwoko.

In a lengthy video she posted on her official Instagram page, the actress confirmed that her family is currently in a turmoil.

Daniels, who referred to Ned as her ex-husband, also vowed to fight for her children, stating that she is capable of training them even without Ned’s support.

She said, “My family is actually in turmoil, it’s crazy but we will definitely come out of it. What gave me the courage to do this video is seeing how my family and everyone is fighting for me. My brother, mum and my sisters, everybody is fighting.

“My brother started a petition and in hours, there were a lot of people signing the petition.

“I’m going to fight for my children Ned, I tried to be calm, I tried to let go but I will fight and take them. I will train them with or without your support. You know that my ex-husband”.

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News

Immigration returns Senator Natasha’s passport after social media outcry

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The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has returned the passport of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan after a wave of public outcry and condemnation on social media.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, was stopped by immigration officers on Tuesday morning, and her passport was withheld without any official reason or explanation provided.

The lawmaker, who was visibly frustrated, had accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of ordering the seizure, alleging it was a move to prevent her from traveling and carrying out her senatorial duties.

“I have committed no offence and there is no order from the court to withhold my passport and deny me travelling. The last time this happened, the officer in charge told us that the Senate President, Godswin Akpabio instructed them to withhold my passport and prevent me from travelling because he said each time I travel out of the country, I spoil the country’s image by granting interviews out in international media.

“Please, can you tell them to release my passport and this embarrassment should stop? You have no right to withhold my passport.

“You have no right to deny me exit and entrance into my country. I have not committed any offence and this must stop. No, this must stop.

“As a matter of fact, I think I have to sue you for continuously embarrassing me. No, don’t tell me sorry. Can I please have my passport? You can’t keep doing this to me all the time,” she said.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan views the incident as part of a recurring pattern of harassment, pointing out that her passport was previously seized under similar circumstances, only to be released after intervention from influential figures.

She continued, “There is no reason why. You have no right to do that, madam. You have no right. You are taking laws into your hands. There is no court order. I have not missed any of my court appearances.

“I have attended all my court sessions. I am not a flight risk. I am not a risk to my country. So why are you treating me like a criminal? Can I have my passport, please? Thank you very much. Sometimes I think you just have to be a rebel to get things right. Then you keep asking Nigerians to be good citizens.

Minutes after her public protest gained traction online, the NIS reportedly bowed to pressure and released her passport.

“If I had not gone public, would you have given me my passport,” she added.

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ADC Responds to Trump Over Designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern

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In response to the action taken by U.S. President Donald Trump on October 31, 2025, designating Nigeria as a country of particular concern, the ADC has released its statement.

According to the statement signed by Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary African Democratic Congress (ADC), the party stated as follows:

1. We are guided by the painful reality that what is really at stake on this issue are the thousands of human lives that have been lost to insecurity in Nigeria, irrespective of their tribe, religion or region.

We therefore seize this moment to pay tribute to the memory of all the victims and express our deepest sympathies to their families.

2. The statement by President Trump reminds us of the greater global concern about the sanctity of human life and the cardinal responsibility of national governments to protect the lives of people who live within their borders.

It reminds us that in the modern world, concern for human rights, for which right to life is the most fundamental, transcends national boundaries and that the dignity and respect of nations are no longer measured by their economic strength alone, but also by their willingness and capacity to protect their own citizens.

3. It is sad to note that it is in this most sacred mandate of government that this administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has failed most. Available reports indicate that nearly 15,000 lives have been lost to sundry violent activities since this administration assumed office in 2023.

These deaths have occurred across regions and religions, underlining a national crisis that cuts across all divides and still endangers us all, regardless of tribe, region or religion.

Entire communities have been sacked, worshippers have been slaughtered in religious spaces, and bandits now control large territories in our country, waging war at will and levying taxes on citizens with impunity.

Boko Haram, once declared as “technically degraded,” is once again growing in strength, while another international terror group make open claims of carrying out successful attacks on Nigerian soil.

4. Under this administration, terror and violence have expanded their reach, from the extreme east and west of the north to its central part.

On October 31, 2025, the very day that President Trump announces his concern about Nigeria, another terror group, JNIM, an Al-Qaeda affiliate which had been active in the Sahel region, announced a successful attack in Kwara State, which serves as a gateway to the southern part of the country.

The crisis that we face is therefore not about any ethnic or religious group being targeted for killing; it is an existential crisis that imperils all Nigerians.

Quite significantly, it is also not about which region or religion has lost more lives; it is about every individual’s right to life. Life and death are absolutes and they must never be reduced to statistics.

The ADC believes that one life lost that could have been saved, is one death too many. 5. The problem of insecurity in Nigeria did not start with President Tinubu.

The problem is that President Tinubu has refused to acknowledge that the crisis has got worse under his watch and has refused to accept responsibility.

Instead, Nigerians have been met with excuses, cruel silence or utter indifference, and political posturing that mocks the tragedy of victims and their families.

7. The ADC will also like to draw attention to the structural and diplomatic failures that continue to deepen Nigeria’s vulnerability on the international stage.

We would like to ask, why has the Nigerian government failed to appoint ambassadors to key countries, more than two years into its term?

How can a government that has been boasting of unprecedented revenue success continue to give lack of fund as excuse for not appointing ambassadors?

Why has our foreign policy become so deeply personalised, focused on the image of the president and his interests, rather than the image of Nigeria and the interests of the Nigerian people?

Why are there still no unified national security strategy, no regional coordination, and no meaningful engagement with the communities most affected?

8. Under President Tinubu, Nigeria has declined both as a continental and a regional leader. Nothing underlines this decline more than the fracturing of the ECOWAS under his watch.

A region that once looked up to us for direction and leadership on issues of democratization and security now doesn’t think we matter anymore as smaller countries watch us fumble aimlessly with our own domestic crisis. These failures are not isolated.

They are all connected, pointing to a government that is so incompetent, so narrow-minded, and yet so blindly arrogant.

9. If this government had been less obsessed with politics, propaganda and self-celebration, it would have taken every single violent attack seriously.

It would have documented every single one of them, and in every single case, it would have demonstrated to Nigerians and to the world what it was doing to bring perpetrators to justice, it would have acknowledged its weaknesses, it would have asked for help; it would rallied Nigerians for the great challenge and it would have showed the world that it truly cared about every Nigerian life.

And perhaps, this situation would have been averted.

10. In conclusion, the African Democratic Congress would like to recommend the following:

i. A full overhaul of the national security apparatus, including an independent audit of operations, leadership, and strategy.

ii. Immediate appointment of qualified ambassadors, to restore Nigeria’s diplomatic presence and strategic influence.

iii. A reset of foreign policy, grounded in national interest, not personal promotion, with renewed engagement across ECOWAS, the AU, and the UN.

iv. Urgent economic reforms, focused on price stability, a credible plan to ease inflation, and verifiable social welfare system to ease the suffering of the poor across the country.

v. An end to the personalization of public institutions, and a return to accountable, citizen-focused governance.

11. We appreciate the American president and other world leaders for their concern about the security situation in our country.

We will however urge that such concerns should be translated into supporting Nigeria to grow her democracy and develop its capacity to solve its own problems.

We believe that mobilizing armed troops or even a mere threat of doing so would do more harm than good and ultimately prove counter-productive to our democratic aspiration and the long-term unity and stability of our country.

Nigeria is not beyond saving, but time is running out. We must act now, with courage, clarity, and a commitment to protect the lives and dignity of every Nigerian. Certainly, Nigeria can not continue like this.

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