‘Nigeria Has Only Had Performative Shadow Of Democracy’ – Farotimi

Human rights lawyer cum activist, Dele Farotimi, has claimed that Nigeria has never experienced genuine democracy but only had a performative shadow of a democracy.

Naija News reports that Farotimi made the remarks during an interview on News Central Television.

While criticising Nigeria’s electoral process and the judiciary, Farotimi faulted the emergence of some political office holders, such as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and ex-Senate President Ahmed Lawan, saying they should not have held their positions.

According to him, many Nigerians place too much emphasis on the presidency while ignoring deeper structural problems within the political system.

He said, “Nigeria has never experienced genuine democracy. We’ve only ever had a performative shadow of a democracy.

“When you focus on the presidency, you lose sight of the emergence of people like Godswill Akpabio and Ahmed Lawan, who emerged in the Senate in spite of the fact that they were not even qualified to run.

“They were expressly disqualified by the provisions of the Electoral Act. But they ended up in the Senate, and the court endorsed it.”

Farotimi further accused the judiciary of abandoning its constitutional role as an impartial arbiter, saying it has become an instrument for legitimising actions that should not have been allowed under the law.

According to him, political actors often act first and then rely on the courts to validate their actions afterwards.

He added, “So, you had a situation where our judicial system has become an instrument for working from the answer to the question. They do it first, and then they find a way for the judiciary to ratify what is already done.

“The judiciary is no longer there to adjudicate based on law and equity. It is there to rationalise what has been done that should never be done.”