Despite serial challenges, Nigerians believe in democracy and oppose authoritarianism

Democracy in Nigeria has gone through major phases and trials of development over more than two decades. Despite the country's many challenges, a new report titled Open Society Barometer indicates that democracy is still preferred by many citizens, reports VICTOR AYENI

Democracy, according to Britannica, has been defined as "a system of government in which the laws, policies, rulers, and corporations of a state or other polity are directly or indirectly decided by the people.”

Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999 after three decades of almost uninterrupted military rule and since then, democratic governance has gone through various challenges characterized by intense political competition, ethnic and religious clashes, rivalries over resource allocation and human rights. violations, electoral violence, corruption and economic unrest.

On February 25, 2023, millions of Nigerians went to the polls to elect the president of Africa's most populous country. A former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, has been declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, who came second, and the presidential candidate of the Labor Party, Peter Obi, who came third, however asked the court to invalidate the election, alleging irregularities.

As the election results were contested in the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal by Tinubu's two main rivals, European Union observers said the 2023 elections had been marred by problems “that have damaged confidence in the CENI” and “reduced confidence in the CENI”. the process and challenged the right to vote. »

On Wednesday, September 6, the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja delivered its verdict and dismissed the allegations raised by Atilku and Obi's lawyers for lack of concrete grounds for its invalidation. The ruling followed the same pattern in previous elections in Nigeria.

With a population of over 200 million, many Nigerians still hope for a vibrant democratic system with strong, independent institutions that will hold government accountable, ensure social justice and distribute dividends of democracy.

Despite the above, a new report, Open Society Barometer, has indicated an enduring faith in democratic principles among the global public, including Nigerians.

The new report, released Monday by the Open Society Foundations and made exclusively available to PUNCH, was based on a survey of more than 36,344 respondents in a representative group of 30 countries across across the world.< /p>

Launched in September 2023, the Open Society Barometer serves as a global reality check, asking people each year about the issues that affect their lives, their communities, their countries and the world at large. together, and on the best way to resolve them.

The surveys, carried out between May and July 2023 by the OSF team and its partners, indicate that on average 86 percent of those surveyed want to live in a democratic state, and despite its shortcomings, the people still believe in the potential of democracy to generate solutions to the common challenges they face.

In his foreword to the report, OSF President Mark Malloch-Brown explains that the most serious threat to democracy is not the rival lure of authoritarianism but rather the question of whether democratic leaders can deliver results. their citizens.

He also emphasizes that even if it seems that the advance of the polycrisis – widespread social malaise, rising inflation, escalation of the climate crisis, global health emergencies and food and energy crisis – signals the decline of democracy, there is still much to be done. confidence in his principles.

Malloch-Brown says: “Reports of the demise of democracy are greatly exaggerated. In fact, he has a strong pulse. And the gravest threat it faces is not the rival lure of authoritarianism but rather the question of whether democratic leaders can meet the expectations of their populations.

“People want to believe in open societies in which checks on power, pluralistic and independent institutions, protection of minorities and individual rights allow all to participate. But the evidence that this model improves their lives is too patchy.

“This is the central conclusion of this new Open Society Barometer. Between May and July, our team and partners surveyed more than 36,000 people in a representative group of 30 countries around the world. Building on a similar exercise conducted last year, the results paint a detailed picture of the attitudes, fears and hopes of citizens in states with a collective population of more than 5.5 billion. They are both optimistic and thought-provoking.