…says he laid foundation for democracy
Former Head of State, Gen. Abdul Salami Abubakar said on Thursday that the current democratic rule in the country has been tested and shaken by reactionary forces and survived, saying there was no alternative to democratic rule.
The former Head of State who handed over power to a democratically elected government in May 1999 said he was very proud of being the one who handed over power, saying “I laid a solid foundation for democracy
He spoke at a book launch on 100 years kg political party evolution in Nigeria just as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen said that strong political parties and a strong opposition are vital to the survival of any democracy.
Represented by Gen. Abdulrasheed Aliyu, the former Nigerian leader said that the fact that democracy has survived in Nigeria for the past 26 years is a testament to citizen’s belief and resilience in representative governance.
He said: “Despite military interventions, democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. There is no substitute for the government of the people, by the people, and for the people, which democracy represents as sovereignty resides with the people.
“This year will also make it 26 years of unbroken democracy in Nigeria, the longest period of constitutional governance since 1st October 1960, when the country got Independence from the British colonial masters.
“I am happy that my government, as the then military Head of State ushered in this era of democracy when I handed over power to the elected President on 29th May 1999. My government laid this solid foundation for democratic governance.
“It also shows that when leaders are patriotic, passionate, resolute, and unwavering in building strong democratic structures and institutions, democracy could flourish and yield its dividends to citizens.
“”We should therefore keep watering and nurturing the tree of democracy as there is no alternative to civil rule. Our democracy has been tested and shaken by reactionary forces and survived. It is a testament to citizen’s belief and resilience in representative governance.
“It has become expedient to explore political parties’ development priorities to consolidate the nation’s democracy and ensure an environment conducive to successful elections and political stability which is in tandem with the IPAC mandate.
“We have all learned a lot in this longest period of democracy in Nigeria, as we continue the ongoing Constitution and Electoral Act Amendments to correct obvious flaws in the electoral process and imbibe democratic ideals, ethics, and values, the nation will yet again witness sustainable democracy and development.
“Since knowledge is power, I have no doubt that we will all be enriched with this book and deliberations on it and chart the way forward in our political process”.
He called for the reconsideration of past practices in party democracy which are currently being downplayed by political players, including the supremacy of the party leadership, adherence to party manifestoes, and formation of party and membership based on ideology.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen said Nigeria’s return to civil rule in 1999 marked a new beginning for the nation after over 30 years of military hiatus, adding that with Olusegun Obasanjo emerging as president under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the journey towards democratic consolidation began in Nigeria.
According to the speaker, “The PDP’s long-standing stay in power without military interference showed that democracy had come to stay. This motivated different political groups to continue to strengthen the process and seek political office.
“The formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) alliance in 2013, was the beginning of such moves as it marked the first significant political realignment since Nigeria’s independence and creating a pan-Nigerian political movement with stronger nationalist focus.
“The APC’s victory in the 2015, 2019, and 2023 elections represented a critical shift in Nigeria’s historical narrative. And, this is where we are working hard to build from the challenges that led to the collapse of previous republics.
“However, the new government also faced challenges, including an increasing insurgency from groups like Boko Haram, widespread corruption, economic hardship, and continuous ethnoreligious tensions.
“As of 2025, Nigeria’s political landscape remains fraught with challenges exacerbated by governance failures, mismanagement, and lack of infrastructural development. Political parties continue to operate within an environment characterized by clientelism and patronage systems, whereby loyalty is rewarded materially rather than through effective governance or policy initiatives.
“These issues have contributed to weaken the institution of Democracy and contribute to the crisis of a disillusioned electorate, highlighting the need for systemic reforms to strengthen democratic processes and restore public trust.
“What remains true is that strong political parties, including an active and vibrant opposition, are not only important but necessary for the consolidation of democracy in our dear country.
“Political parties must serve as platforms for ideation, policy innovation, and citizen engagement, rather than tools for personal aggrandizement or factional dominance. The vibrancy of a democracy is measured not just by the strength of its ruling party, but also by the ability of its opposition to provide constructive criticism and alternative pathways for governance.
“Democracy is about competition and political parties must fashion strategies of inclusivity and ensure that members of the political parties are fully involved in the decision-making process of the party to take ownership of the activities of the party.
“Internal democracy within the political parties must play a role in ensuring the emergence of political representations. It is by so doing that we will eliminate imposition and godfatherism that have over the years characterised our political management. To consolidate our democracy is a duty of all democrats in Nigeria and we must take the bull by the horns. The time is now.”
Former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim said that besides the still-born constitutional conference of 2006 and the 2014 confab, no other structured effort has been made in a decade to resolve the ever-lingering issues of instability in the Nigerian polity.
He said this is however at the root of the lingering problem of national instability leading to high-level insecurity, economic regression, and the heavy burden of mal-administration among others
He stressed: “The incontrovertible fact, that in any heterogenous or plural country of similar complexities as Nigeria, the need for national dialogue and minimum consensus on the terms of the union cannot be ignored or over-emphasized.
“It behooves this generation of leaders and elites to establish that dialogue, and reach that consensus that Nigeria sorely needs to rid herself and her parts, of the mutual suspicions, distrust, and antagonisms that have retarded her growth into the stable nation and contending global power she has every potential to be.”
