By Okechukwu Nwanguma
On Monday, September 15, Nigeria joined in the global marking of the International Day of Democracy.
Nigerians cannot afford to forget our own painful but inspiring democratic journey – especially the historic June 12, 1993 election, annulled by the military dictatorship of General Ibrahim Babangida.
That election, adjudged the freest and fairest in our history, symbolised the will of the people and the hope of a nation determined to break free from tyranny. The annulment was not just an assault on MKO Abiola’s mandate – it was an assault on the Nigerian people.
Yet, the resistance that followed – led by courageous citizens and pro-democracy icons like Chima Ubani, Beko Ransome-Kuti, Gani Fawehinmi, and countless others – proved that Nigerians could rise against dictatorship. Their sacrifices restored civil rule in 1999 and created the democratic space we inhabit today.
But today, that space is once again under threat – not from soldiers in khaki, but from corrupt, self-serving politicians and from the silence and inaction of citizens weighed down by hardship. The same spirit that challenged the military must now be rekindled against greed, impunity, and the failure of governance.
Democracy, we say, is the government of the people, by the people, for the people. But do we, the people, truly grasp what that means – or have we reduced democracy to something others must deliver to us?
It bears repeating: democracy is not the exclusive duty of leaders. It is not a performance we watch from the sidelines, clapping or groaning depending on the actors on stage. It is a system that requires active citizenship – an everyday exercise of rights and responsibilities. A democracy cannot grow without democrats. And that includes the people.
Yes, Nigeria is experiencing democracy. It may be flawed, turbulent, or imperfect, but it is democracy nonetheless. We must say this loudly and firmly, lest apathy erode the gains made by those who fought hard and paid dearly to restore civil rule – heroes like Chima Ubani, Beko Ransome-Kuti, Gani Fawehinmi, and many others who laid down their lives for our political freedoms. There is no perfect democracy anywhere in the world, but democracy provides the platform for democratic growth. Lose that space, and you lose the very means by which progress can be made.
Democratic growth does not occur in a vacuum, and it does not happen on its own. It is not solely the product of good leadership. In fact, the fixation on failed leadership – though valid in many instances – often becomes an excuse for collective inaction. Chinua Achebe was right when he said Nigeria’s problem is one of leadership, but he never said the people are absolved of responsibility.
Apathy is growing in Nigeria. Citizens are disengaging, disillusioned, and disappointed. But democracy is not sustained by hope alone; it is sustained by participation, vigilance, and accountability. Citizens must stop seeing themselves merely as victims of bad governance. They are also the stewards of governance.
“By the people” is not just a phrase – it is a mandate. Citizens must govern, not just by voting every four years, but by:
– Vetting candidates carefully, not based on tribe, cash, or coercion, but on competence and character.
– Holding public officials accountable not just with criticism but with consistent civic engagement.
– Being ethical in their own lives – in offices, markets, schools, and public spaces – knowing that corruption at the top is sustained by complicity at the bottom.
A school principal who demands a bribe to release a student’s testimonial is failing in their democratic duty. A cashier who treats customers with disdain is eroding democratic values. A citizen who evades taxes, cheats customers, or exploits public goods without conscience is undermining the very society they expect to work for them.
Democracy is not a gift. It is a job. It demands labor, patience, sacrifice, and integrity. And that job is not just for politicians – it’s for every citizen. If the people do not govern – through vigilance, accountability, participation – then others will govern them through force, fraud, or fear.
And that is how democracy dies.
So let us stop waiting to be encouraged. Let us stop waiting for perfect leaders. Let us stop reducing our role to complaints and hashtags. If Nigeria is to experience democratic growth, it must be because the people have chosen to grow democracy themselves.
Democracy is a government of the people. By the people.
Let the people begin to govern.
