Activist Sylvester Odion-Akhaine claims Nigeria’s democracy is lagging behind Ghana’s due to more robust institutional frameworks and practices. He identifies significant issues like electoral fraud, human rights abuses, ethnic identity politics, and public fund mismanagement as critical barriers to democratic growth in Nigeria compared to Ghana.
Sylvester Odion-Akhaine, a Professor of Political Science and a Human Rights Activist, asserts that Nigeria’s democracy is stagnating relative to Ghana’s due to structural improvements in the latter. He highlights that Ghana’s institutional frameworks, including its Electoral Commission and Judiciary, indicate resilience, professionalism, and impartiality in electoral matters, unlike Nigeria, which struggles with electoral integrity.
During his 103rd Inaugural Lecture at Lagos State University, titled “Shifting For Good: The Weapon of Empiricism in the Disorder of a Third Wave of Democracy in Africa,” the Professor elaborated on how Ghana has benefitted from democratic transitions that enabled power shifts between major political parties since 2000. In contrast, Nigeria has seen only a single transfer of power from the People’s Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress in 2015.
Odion-Akhaine identified key issues that plague the Nigerian republic which hinder its democratic progress. Firstly, he noted the persistent lack of free and fair elections, with observations indicating serious election rigging since 1999. The Commonwealth Observers expressed concerns regarding Nigeria’s electoral standards, particularly after the problematic 2007 elections that led to reforms.
Secondly, he pointed out the extensive human rights abuses that have characterized Nigerian governance since 1999, citing specific events such as the Odi and Zaki Biam massacres, and the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency. These incidents exemplify the dire human rights situations affecting the nation’s governance.
The third pathology he mentioned includes ethnic identity politics, which has shaped voting patterns and fueled periodic ethnic conflicts. Lastly, Odion-Akhaine attributed the staggering mismanagement of public funds to the political elite, which skews the economy towards unproductive spending, with over 70 percent of national income allocated to recurrent expenditures at the expense of capital investments, resulting in significant financial loss to the public purse.
In summary, Nigeria’s democratic challenges stem from electoral malpractice, human rights violations, ethnic strife, and financial mismanagement, all of which hinder its democratic progress compared to Ghana. Odion-Akhaine’s insights reveal a need for institutional reform and active civic engagement to advance Nigeria’s democratic integrity and improve governance.
Original Source: businessday.ng
