Prominent legal practitioner and public affairs commentator, Okutepa Jibrin, has delivered a scathing critique of Nigeria’s democratic system, declaring that good governance is virtually absent across most states and warning that the country’s democracy has been hijacked by political elites and power brokers.
In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, Okutepa lamented that Nigerians have been reduced to mere spectators in a system that should ordinarily reflect the will of the people.
“There is no good governance in almost all the states in Nigeria. Nigerians are just at the mercy of the government. Nothing is being done to show that this democracy is government of the people by the people for the people,” he wrote.
According to him, Nigeria’s democracy has deviated sharply from its core principles, evolving instead into a system controlled by individuals who, in his words, “have forced themselves on the people and have cornered the commonwealth of the people.”
Okutepa accused politicians, godfathers and godmothers of capturing state institutions meant to serve public interest, insisting that power in Nigeria now shields incompetence and abuse.
“Today it appears those who are in power can never be wrong. They are almighty and all-knowing even when most of them know nothing in the art of governance. We parade despots as democrats in power,” he stated.
He further argued that unlike in genuine democracies where authority derives from the people, power in Nigeria rests with leaders who have little or no regard for citizens.
“While in real democracy and civilized societies power belongs to the people, in Nigeria power belongs to those who have no regards for the people,” Okutepa said.
Turning attention to the 2027 general elections, the legal luminary warned that political actors responsible for poor governance are unperturbed because they are already positioning themselves to return to power through defections and political maneuvering.
“As we are approaching 2027, those who forced themselves on us and have nothing to show are not bothered or worried. The decamping from one party to another are all geared towards one common purpose — to force themselves on Nigerians again,” he cautioned, urging citizens to remain vigilant.
Okutepa also raised concerns over the integrity of democratic institutions, alleging that many have been compromised and are no longer committed to delivering free, fair and credible elections.
“All institutions of democracy appear to have been compromised and captured by the state actors. Free, fair and credible elections are not in the agenda of Nigerian political parties,” he asserted.
He expressed dismay over the role of the judiciary in electoral disputes, warning that democracy cannot thrive where justice fails to address electoral malpractices.
“The decisions of courts should correct errors. But where adjudication in electoral disputes is anchored on caricature justice that closes eyes to electoral robberies, democracy cannot flourish in such environments. That is our bane,” he said.
As the country inches closer to the 2027 polls, Okutepa called for urgent reforms within political parties and a shift in campaign culture.
“It is time to demand from Nigerian political parties to have internal democracy. It is time to demand issue-based campaigns and not slogans and dancing,” he urged.
He also called on Nigerians to reject electoral violence and thuggery, describing such practices as anti-democratic.
“It is time to demand that government-sponsored thugs and thuggish approaches to elections are not democratic virtues but democratic vices which must be resisted by all,” Okutepa concluded.
