By Salisu Abdulazeez Lawal Democracy, the heralded system of "government of the people, by the people, for the people," which we’r...
By Salisu Abdulazeez Lawal
Democracy, the heralded system of "government of the people, by the people, for the people," which we’re forced to memorize since our kindergarten days, stands overwhelmingly at the pinnacle of political legitimacy, said to be a peoples’ mandate motor.
However, in Nigeria, the term "democracy" often feels like a cruel joke, a facade masking a harsh reality – a system we might call "democrazy."
The true definition of democracy as narrated by our constitution, “to belong to the people of Nigeria - from whom government through the constitution derives all its powers and authority,” can be said to be a farce. It is an echo unheard by its intended audience. The “right to life, liberty, personal property, and all other rights enshrined in the constitution” is no longer guaranteed to the citizens. The supposed "owners of sovereignty," the electorate, are left to watch from the cheap seats of misery as the "elites," the self-proclaimed "keepers," devour the true fruits of democracy in a metaphorical cake they share in their ivory towers.
Elections are now grotesque mirrors reflecting empty promises and overflowing coffers. The "few" recharge their pockets while the "many" are left regurgitating from hunger.
The “social justice” ascribed in the constitution now becomes an ostentatious commodity, readily available to those who can afford its exorbitant price tag. The “social contract theory” has become the most sarcastic lie, a disillusioned fallacy – a “We” proclaiming “Them.”
Can we truly celebrate a "democracy" that prioritizes the elites over the welfare of the masses?
Our Nigerian brand of "democracy" is indeed “crazy” – a crying reminder that “democracy” isn’t for all citizens but a few. Elections and the constitution are merely weapons shielded for their cause.
True democracy won’t compromise token gestures over life, society over self, citizenry over citizens, or the powerful at the expense of the powerless.
Salisu Abdulazeez Lawal is a 200-level law student at the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He is a legal writer, researcher, poet, attorney chambers advocate, and clinician at the ABU Zaria Law Clinic.
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