A democracy group, Think‑Tank for Democracy, has urged President‑elect Bola Tinubu to adopt policies that address Nigeria’s long‑standing challenges. The call was made on Wednesday at a press conference in Ikeja, Lagos, by a coalition of pro‑democracy activists. In a statement signed by the group’s chairman, Prof. Lucky Akaruese, and secretary, Prof. Sylvester Akhaine, they noted that the country is plagued by poverty, unemployment, insecurity, separatist agitation, debt overhang, corruption, poor infrastructure, and a skewed distribution of power entrenched by the 1999 Constitution. “The polity is badly divided and needs healing,” the statement read.
The group emphasized that Tinubu must confront these problems with the support of every Nigerian, guided by honesty of purpose. They called for the assembly of the nation’s best and brightest minds, rather than a mere gathering of party partisans, to drive the needed reforms.
Commenting on the recently concluded 2023 general elections, the Think‑Tank highlighted Nigeria’s territorial segregation and linguistic diversity, warning that the over‑dramatisation of ethnic identity politics could lead the country down a dangerous path. They argued that class issues such as poverty transcend ethnic boundaries and that the nation should move away from toxic ethnic politics, which often incite violence.
Despite their concerns about the electoral process, the group acknowledged some positive developments. They praised the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System for effectively preventing over‑voting and reducing the manipulation of election results, describing it as a “magic” that should be built upon and further refined.
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