Professor Anthony Kila, Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, has criticised the state of democracy in Nigeria, saying the country operates a skewed system that favours a few powerful individuals while leaving ordinary citizens with limited influence.
Speaking on ARISE News on Wednesday, Kila said:
“We are not doing democracy. What we practice is a system where all animals are equal, but some are more equal. Some people are untouchable. The rigour that we use for our process depends on the victim and the oppressor.”
The professor, commenting on the defection of governors to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the party’s recent announcement that defecting leaders will not automatically get tickets, argued that these moves are driven by self-interest rather than public benefit.
“The reason why they leave party to the other has nothing to do with the benefit of citizens. The reason why they want to change and they are negotiating has little to do with the condition of a citizen. It has very little to do with some kind of ideas, let alone ideologies,” he said.
He also criticised the APC for manipulating agreements and controlling the allocation of political positions at the national level.
“If they discussed it and they gave them hints, or they assured them that they would get their ticket, and they didn’t pull away that assurance or agreement from them, it would tell you that the people in the APC are a group of people who do not keep to agreement, who really cannot be trusted,” Kila stated.
On internal party democracy, Kila highlighted structural weaknesses within Nigerian political parties, saying:
“I think the system that we run in Nigeria is a system that has little regard, little structure for internal democracy. We run a vertical system. There are too many people in political parties who are not worthy of being called leaders. Nigerian political parties are not associations of equals. They are associations where a few people control everything, and others depend on them.”
Kila also warned that governors and politicians prioritise their own survival and positions over the interests of citizens:
“I have very little regard for people who leave a position and join the governing party. In my mind, they lack character, they lack vision, and they lack stamina. That allows me to say it’s unacceptable nonsense to argue that you must join the centre to govern your state well. I do not trust their character that they have enough dignity to go back. But I believe they will not go back because I think this declaration is a farce.”
He accused political clubs of insincerity and opportunism:
“But it shows us again how insincere our political clubs are. They say everything and do it their own way, and it’s very sad for the country.”
Kila also criticised the APC’s handling of defections and political agreements:
“The APC and the people in power want to eat their cake and have it. They want to keep everyone and so they are forced to play these kinds of games.”
The professor concluded that the system prioritises power, manipulation, and self-interest over citizen participation, noting that ordinary Nigerians are largely sidelined from decision-making processes and that internal party democracy remains weak and ineffective.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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