Democracy Alive, Not Dying In Nigeria — Issa Aremu

In spite of the challenges of nation building, Nigeria has been described as democracy destination undergoing democratic consolidation.

Director-General of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Legislative Studies (MINILS), Comrade Issa Aremu stated this while taking exception to what he called “new Democracy-pessimism fad.”

Aremu said without democracy those individuals would not have been able to exhibit their limited leadership ability in the past.

The MINILS DG spoke this at the sidelines of the 2025 Ramadan lecture of the Institute held in Ilorin and at Arewa House Kaduna during the special prayers to mark the 73rd birthday of President Bola Tinubu organised by Arewa Think Tank Group on Saturday.

He observed that it was time for Nigerians to deepen and consolidate the democratic process, adding that “democratic optimism must not in any way give way to democratic despair in Africa”.

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“With 19 registered political parties, 93,469,008, total voters registered, 176,846 polling units in Nigeria, 7 concluded presidential elections since 1999, 5 elected Presidents, 2 elected twice, one graciously accepting loss of election, hundreds of state, National Assembly elections and bye elections, active media, vibrant organised trade unions and civil society, freedoms of assembly and expressions, Nigeria is a model of how democracy lives, not dying,” he said.

Aremu cautioned the media to “report, but also profile the messengers of messages of despair and doom” for discerning citizens for informed judgement about them.

He said the challenges of development in Africa call for more democracy through quality control measures of politics of ideologies and programme, not doubt and scare-mongering about democracy.

He further added that the military juntas in Mali, Bukina Faso and Niger must give way to free and fair elections for legitimacy.

Comrade Aremu who was the Director of the Labour Directorate of Tinubu/Shetima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) during 2023 election described Tinubu as an “audacious” reformer who legitimately “can and should run for second term in 2027 to consolidate on his achievements in the labour sector”.