Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that although the nation’s democracy is alive, it is not hale and hearty.
Obasanjo, who spoke during a colloquium to mark the 70th birthday of former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Josephine Anenih, in Abuja, said while democracy allowed for dissenting voices, the situation in Nigeria had not encouraged that at all at present.
His words: “That after almost 20 years of the beginning of the present dispensation, it (democracy) has not been derailed, is enough a development in progress, even though there are many unpalatable practises and dangerous signs that have shown their ugly heads, which is the strongest indication that our democracy is alive but, it cannot be said to be hale and hearty. Practitioners of democracy must be democrats, if you have a lot to be desired.”
Obasanjo accused the All Progressives Congress-led government of intimidating judges so that they would its wishes.
He also said some of the agencies of the government like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC; Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, had been used to witch-hunt those holding different views from that of the government.
“The use of intimidation, violence and physical attacks have started in some states. It is understood that judges are already being intimidated so as to prepare them to do the ruling party’s bidding in election petitions. All these are visible in today’s practice of democracy in Nigeria.
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“Some institutions created for normal administration and dispensation of Justice, like the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the ministry of justice are being directed to witch-hunt and pursue political opponents,” the former president said.
Obasanjo also spoke on the need for the involvement of more women in politics.
According to him, the good state of the nation’s democracy would better be assessed by the level of participation of women in politics.
