As Nigeria marks Democracy Day, former Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi has made a striking assessment of the nation’s political journey, stating that while Nigeria transitioned to civilian rule in 1999, it is yet to realize the essence of genuine democracy.
Speaking during a Channels Television special programme titled ‘Nigeria’s Democratic Journey: An Inter-Generational Conversation On Building A Better Nation’, Fayemi explained that though Nigerians regained the right to elect their leaders, more deliberate efforts are needed to entrench full democratic governance.
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“What we mustn’t do is to conflate elections with democracy. What we got was to reestablish the right to vote for our leaders into office in 1999, what we are yet to get is real democracy in my view,” he said.
He further added: “We got civilian rule, we are proudly on the journey — we now have a semi-democracy, but now we don’t have full democracy. The effort that the previous president and now President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has put into it, we all must build on that.”
Fayemi, who once served as Nigeria’s Minister of Mines and Steel Development, also reflected on his involvement in the pro-democracy struggle during the military dictatorship of the late General Sani Abacha. He revealed that he and other activists ran Radio Kudirat, a clandestine broadcast station used to mobilize opposition against military rule and promote democratic ideals.
While recounting those years, Fayemi noted that operating the station was fraught with danger, and their survival during that period was more a matter of luck than strategy.
“It’s not that we were not afraid or we were aimlessly bold, we just didn’t fully think of the enormity of the threat it constituted beyond wanting to do the right thing,” he explained.
He recalled a particularly risky episode: “I mean, I carried the transmitters of Radio Kudirat on an Air France flight that was destined for Cotonou in the Benin Republic and made a detour to Lagos in the heat of the crisis.”
“I could have been picked up on that flight, I would have been history by now as many found themselves to be. During the Oputa Panel Commission, some of the characters that were mandated to eliminate leaders of the struggle came up with their stories.”
Fayemi, a former presidential aspirant on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the build up to the 2023 general elections emphasized that those who paid the ultimate price for democracy were not reckless but deeply committed to their beliefs.”
“So, we shouldn’t make light of what happened and I don’t by any stretch of imagination want to create the impression that we were invincible in what we did, I think some of us are just fortunate that we are still alive. Those who lost their lives were not stupid in what they did, they were following their convictions.”
On a final note, Fayemi commended President Bola Tinubu for honoring several individuals involved in the fight for democracy with national awards. However, he urged that recognition be extended to other contributors as well, particularly those who played key roles in sustaining Radio Kudirat and similar initiatives during the struggle for Nigeria’s democratic rebirth.
