The Director General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Comrade Issa Aremu, has described Nigeria as a “democracy destination undergoing democratic consolidation”, contrary to negative claims by naysayers.
It would be recalled that both former President Olusegun Obasanjo and erstwhile Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, had claimed that democracy is dying in Africa, particularly in Nigeria.
Comrade Aremu, who
spoke on the sidelines of the 2025 Ramadan lecture of the Institute in Ilorin and at Arewa House Kaduna during the Special Prayers to mark the 73rd birthday of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu organised by Arewa Think Tank Group, took a swipe at what he called “new Democracy-pessimism fad” by those he said “would not have been able to exhibit their limited leadership ability in the past without democracy”.
According to him, it is time for Nigerians to deepen and consolidate the democratic process, adding that “democratic optimism must not in any way give way to democratic despair in Africa”.
“With 19 Registered Political Parties, 93,469,008, Total Voters Registered, 176,846 Polling Units in Nigeria, 7 concluded presidential elections since 1999, 5 elected Presidents, 2 elected twice, one graciously accepting loss of election, hundreds of state, National Assembly elections and bye elections, active media, vibrant organized trade unions and civil society, freedoms of assembly and expressions, Nigeria is a model of how Democracy lives, not dying,” Aremu observed.
The Director General cautioned the media not only to report but also profile messengers of messages of despair and doom for discerning citizens to have informed judgement about them, adding that both former President Obasanjo and former Governor Peter Obi suffer what he called “bring down what I cannot control syndrome”.
To the Director General: “Democracy is alive for only those who necessarily cannot have their ways all the time but still keep faith in the ballot. Afro-democracy is another subterfuge for a call to authoritarianism by OBJ, democracy is not divisible, it is according to 1999 constitution, simple majority that made OBJ President twice, Peter Obi governor and a failed Presidential candidate in 2023, any resort to red hearing that Democracy is dying because the duo are out and dry of elsewhere power is unhelpful and self serving.
“Following the death of President Hage Geingob On 4 February 2024, Namibia just successfully conducted election to inaugurate first female President Nangolo Mbumba who once served as vice-president. Senegal last year elected youngest 45 year old Bassirou Diomaye Faye, while Amadou Ba, the candidate of the ruling United in Hope (BBY) coalition, peacefully conceded defeat. OBJ must be operating from outer space to say Democracy is dying Africa,” Aremu said.
He said the challenges of development in Africa call for more democracy through quality control measures of politics of ideologies and programme not doubt and scare mongering about democracy, adding that the military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger must give way to free and fair elections for legitimacy.
Comrade Aremu, who was also the Director of the Labour Directorate of Tinubu/Shetima Presidential Campaign Council ( PCC) during 2023 election, described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as an “audacious” reformer who legitimately “can and should run for second term in 2027 to consolidate on his achievements in the labour sector”.
The Director General of the premier Labour Institute described the recently approved N758 billion bond to settle long standing pension liabilities by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as “a timely, welcome act of compassion, statesmanship and good governance” in the country’s pension market, adding that the measure was the most impactful of the Renewed Hope Agenda in labour market after the 2024 National minimum wage Act ”.