2023 election shows Nigeria no longer operating democracy – Sam Amadi
The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Dr. Sam Amadi has said the outcome of the 2023 general elections showed that Nigeria is no longer practicing democracy.
Amadi disclosed this at the 2nd Ariyo Dare-Atoye memorial series, themed: “Is Nigeria a democracy? Reflection on the 2023 general election”, held recently in Abuja.
According to Amadi, the Feb 25 presidential, National assembly elections and March 18 governorship, house of assembly elections were not a reflection of the people’s choice.
He explained that the elections had further dissipated the leftover public trust on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC described the just concluded elections as a ‘total desecration’, away from the democratic norms.
He said: “The outcome of the general elections showed Nigeria is yet to be democratic because the fundamental features of democracy, the three of them coming to these elections, fair institutions that should provide equality for everybody, and guarantee basic freedoms have been denied largely in this election.
“We are no longer Democracy. We are not saying that alone, international rating agencies are saying that Nigeria first is a hybrid Democracy; meaning that we are functional or formally democratic but the logic of why Democrats is authoritarian”.
