For many Nigerians, whether it’s called democracy or uninterrupted civilian rule, the past 25 years have been a rollercoaster of a journey. But it remains..
. By Clement A. Oloyede For many Nigerians, whether it’s called democracy or uninterrupted civilian rule, the past 25 years have been a rollercoaster of a journey.
But it remains a milestone for the country, considering that in the almost 64 years of independence, Nigerians have only experienced democracy between 1960-1966, 1979-1983 and now the longest of the stretch, 1999-2024. Within this long stretch, while many Nigerians have been left disappointed at not only the pace of the journey, some have observed that it is difficult to understand if the movement is progressive or retrogressive. Those in this category, mostly the majority of the masses, continuously lament that the dividends of the democracy have not been forthcoming and that it has become difficult to understand the brand of democracy being practiced in the country when compared to other climes.
But the other category, mostly the ruling class, believe that though the country may not be where it ought to be, the journey has been promising, arguing that within this period, Nigeria has witnessed significant opening of civic spaces with the traditional media and now in conjunction with the social media playing critical roles in not just electioneering periods, but also governance. They also argue that though 25 years may be a long time for humans, it remains i.