A former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, has lamented that since the return to democracy in 1999, most of the elections in the country have been a mockery of democracy.
The leader of the All Progressives Congress said this at the inaugural lecture of the Freedom House Democracy Lecture series in Lagos on Monday.
While reflecting on the recently concluded election in Ekiti State, Tinubu said there were still traces of dictatorship in the nation’s democracy that was why the Federal Government shut down newspapers and restricted freedom of movement by prohibiting key APC members from travelling into Ekiti state prior to elections.
He added that it was the same reason why the Federal Government deployed more security people to hover over the elections in Ekiti than they do to protect the people and tackle the security challenges in Borno State.
He said, “Instead of being the periodic celebration of democracy, elections in Nigeria have generally mocked the very notion of democracy they are supposed to uphold. Worst has been what comes after elections.
“Since the winner often is not chosen by the people but by some subterranean process, he continues to dishonour the people while resorting to that subterranean process in how he rules. Generally, these office holders believe they have the inborn right to rule instead of have been given a duty to govern.
“For the most part, elections have become a perverse form of modern coronation. Instead of choosing public servants, elections in Nigeria have been basically to select a new aristocracy, an elected royalty.”
Also speaking at the event, Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, urged Nigerians to mobilise for street protest as way to stop stealing by public funds, adding that pelting of guilty public leaders could also deter them from diverting government funds for their private use.
He maintained that public office holders could not fight corruption because the institutions were already compromised.
He said, “The only way to stop us from stealing is to stone us. The followers are equally guilty as the leadership. The institutions are already compromised and there is no alternative to them. Nigerians seem not be against corruption but they are against how long you stay being corrupt. Don’t expect those in public office to fight corruption.”
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