The advocacy officer for the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network, Austin Aigbe, has raised concerns over the state of Nigeria’s democracy, calling on citizens to take greater ownership of the electoral process and hold institutions accountable.
He said this while speaking with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday.
“I’d rather say that our democracy is facing turbulence. There is what we call democratic regression. This democracy is at risk.
“Why we are calling to strengthen that democracy is because we know the implication of a democratic decline. And where people begin to get those kinds of data that you just cited—23% trust is a worrisome dynamic, 77% saying that they are not satisfied with democratic outcome, democratic dividends, which is fundamental. Good roads—people don’t have to spend on the road going between Edo and Delta for three days—those are just democratic dividends. We can’t get it, and we need it.
“That statement is very critical, and I amplify it: institutional failure, which for me is very important. But let me piggyback back on citizens.
“What do we need to do? We’ve got a role. As part of a concluding statement today, it was charging the media as the voice of the people. Can the media help to increase this sensitization? One of the things that I think is critical as we enter elections is that citizens’ oversight must be at the front burner. Politicians tend to divide the citizens. Citizens must organize” he urged.
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Aigbe said citizens’ participation in elections must go beyond merely casting ballots, stressing the need for voters to acquire the knowledge required to monitor the electoral process and hold officials accountable.
“In the last election, people have talked about that again and again, I cannot just but flog it more, is that the citizens, very remarkably… In Osun, in a particular polling unit, the citizens stood and started telling the official what to do.
“Anything that citizens have got to improve knowledge, like the Convenor said, it is not just the duty of INEC. Neither is it the duty of the media. It is the duty of all of us, particularly CSOs working directly with the media to provide the right information.”
Favour Odima
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