Former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi
Former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has stated that Nigeria has successfully transitioned to civilian rule but has yet to the real essence of democracy.
He emphasized this during a Channels Television special June 12 event, “Nigeria’s Democratic Journey: An Inter-Generational Conversation On Building A Better Nation.”
Fayemi noted that while Nigeria reestablished the right to vote for leaders in 1999, the country is yet to achieve full democracy.
“What we mustn’t do is to conflate elections with democracy,” he said.
“What we got was to reestablish the right to vote for our leaders into office in 1999, what we are yet to get is real democracy in my view.”
The former governor described Nigeria’s current state as a semi-democracy, stating, “We got civilian rule, we are proudly on the journey — we now have a semi-democracy, but now we don’t have full democracy.”
He emphasized the need for efforts to achieve full democracy, ensuring citizens’ rights and freedoms are protected.
Fayemi’s statement serves as a call to action for Nigerians to strive for a more robust and inclusive democracy, where citizens’ voices are heard, and their rights are protected.
