Thirty-three years after the annulled June 12, 1993 election, the date is no longer a celebration for most Nigerians. With a median age of 18, the majority of the population has no living memory of that watershed moment. For those who fought the military, June 12 was a rite of passage, a victory over authoritarianism. But the heroes of that struggle were not just the famous names—MKO Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Alfred Rewane. The real heroes were the millions of ordinary Nigerians who took to the streets and forced the generals out.
Today, those ordinary Nigerians are not celebrating. They ask a painful question: when did our democracy die? The only agency they see in power is from greedy looters of the public treasury. It is time to stop singing praises about our democracy and its heroes. The struggle for true democracy in Nigeria must be reopened.
The Fourth Republic has been in place since 1999, but over that period, the democratic process has been emptied of its essence. Reckless political cabals have created a grave threat to the foundational constitutional principle of separation of powers. Checks and balances between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches have been imperiled. This division of government responsibilities is designed to prevent tyranny, preserve individual liberties, and promote accountability.
The core reasons for separation of powers are clear: preventing tyranny by stopping any single group from amassing dictatorial power; enabling checks and balances so each branch can monitor and limit the others; and protecting human rights through an independent judiciary that applies laws fairly.
Ten concerned Nigerian citizens—including Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, Dr. Husseini Abdu, Ambassador Fatima Balla, Dr. Usman Bugaje, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Dr. Yahaya Hashim, Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, Mohammed Kuna, Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, and Mallam Kabiru Yusuf—issued a press release this week expressing alarm at increasing threats to the nation, its democratic order, and the rule of law. Their assessment reveals that Nigeria stands at a dangerous crossroads. Rising insecurity, alarming electoral manipulation by the government, and the weakening of democratic institutions are converging into a national crisis that threatens the country’s survival.
The legislative branch has been placed under near total control of the executive. The judiciary appears to have lost both its independence and its integrity. There are no checks on executive power; the government governs as it pleases without accountability or respect for the people’s concerns. Institutions have been compromised, weakened, and subordinated to executive interests. This erosion has fueled public distrust to its highest level in history, creating a crisis of political exclusion and impunity that is pushing violent extremism, organized crime, and communal conflict to a tipping point.
To reverse this trajectory, Nigeria must urgently recommit to democratic accountability, judicial independence, and institutional reforms that strengthen the rule of law. Electoral processes must be transparent, credible, and insulated from executive interference.
The crisis in Nigeria cannot be separated from the broader instability engulfing the Sahel region. The spread of terrorism, arms trafficking, unconstitutional changes of government, and porous borders across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger continue to intensify insecurity in Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad Basin. The collapse of regional cooperation and democratic governance in parts of the Sahel emboldens armed groups, weakens state authority, and undermines civilian protection across West Africa.
Regional security cooperation between Nigeria and Sahelian states should be revitalized through strong bilateral and multilateral platforms for intelligence sharing, border governance, and community-based peacebuilding initiatives. Equally important is investing in youth employment, education, social protection, and local conflict resolution mechanisms to address the root causes of radicalization and insecurity.
