We Must Encourage Active Citizen Participation In Governance Processes – Ezenwa

Executive director of the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Center in Africa (PAACA), Ezenwa Nwagwu has emphasized on the urgent need to rebuild citizens trust in Nigeria’s democratic process.

Nwagwu, who spoke to journalists in Abuja, said that though Nigeria has enjoyed uninterrupted democracy in the last 25 years, the country still faces significant challenges undermining its democracy.

He said, “I will say that we have made progress, especially when we consider where we started in 1999 when the country returned to democratic rule. For instance, the transition from military to civilian rule in 1999 marked a pivotal moment, and the fact that we’ve sustained uninterrupted democracy for 25 years is a significant achievement. This includes holding seven general elections, which demonstrate a degree of resilience in our democratic system.

“However, Nigeria still faces significant challenges undermining our democracy. For instance, electoral malpractice remains a persistent problem in our democracy.

Reports of vote-buying, violence, and manipulations continue to undermine the credibility of elections. Governance structures are often weak, and corruption continues to erode public trust in democratic institutions.

“These issues have eroded public trust in democratic institutions, leaving citizens questioning the system. Understandably, many Nigerians feel disillusioned, questioning whether democracy has truly delivered the dividends they were promised. Additionally, Nigeria’s political landscape is still dominated by money bags, leading to impositions of candidates and misuse of state resources, further alienating the people from governance. So, on one hand, I will say that we have made progress, such as improvements in technology through initiatives like the use of BVAS (Bimodal Voter Accreditation System) to enhance electoral transparency, but there is still so much left to be done.

For instance, constitutional and electoral reforms are urgently needed to empower institutions like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free and fair elections consistently.

“These reforms are needed if we must improve citizens’ confidence in our democracy. I am also of the opinion that there is a pressing need to focus on what is happening at the state and local government levels. These tiers of governance directly impact the daily lives of citizens, yet they are often overlooked in discussions about democratic progress. In fact, in some states, governors behave like emperors. Strengthening governance at these levels could lead to significant improvements in service delivery and citizen engagement.