Utomi ignites fresh debate on true nature of Nigeria’s democracy

Prominent political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi has ignited fresh debate about the true nature of Nigeria’s democracy, asserting that the absence of “real” political parties hinders the country’s ability to function effectively.

In an interview with AriseTV on Tuesday, Utomi took aim at the current political landscape, particularly critiquing the singular focus on elections as a tool for acquiring power.

Utomi argued that Nigerian political parties fail to fulfill the fundamental roles expected of them in a functioning democracy. He contends that they lack clear ideologies, fail to offer policy platforms, and prioritize capturing power over serving the electorate.

This, he suggested, creates a system devoid of genuine competition and accountability, ultimately preventing the nation from progressing beyond an “oligarchy disguised as a democracy.”

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He said: “Nigeria is not a working democracy, and part of our efforts is to make our democracy work before people think about the next election. Countries don’t grow by waiting for the next electoral process; countries grow through the founding of political parties.

“I can say without any feeling of wrongness that we don’t have a political party in Nigeria today. What we have been able to couple together since 199 has been a platform for machine politics, where the game is to grab power rightly or wrongly and share spoils.”

Instead of prioritizing momentary electoral victories, Utomi emphasized the need for robust political parties with distinct ideological foundations.

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He envisioned a system where parties compete on the basis of well-defined policy proposals, fostering meaningful engagement with the electorate and genuine debate on the crucial issues facing the nation.

Utomi said: “My view is clear on this matter, let’s build a great party that can make Nigeria better. When we then build it, the people from different social movements, in addition to the political parties that come into this one party, subscribe to certain values and ideologies of how you make a nation happen, can then present those who seem interested can go forward.

“This is what Nigeria needs, and must have but shouldn’t be about some individuals advertising that they are the ones who should go forward, Nigerians will determine that.”