* * * * * * * SPECIAL EDITION ON THE 25 TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNBROKEN DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA * * * * * * * BY OLUSEGUN ADENIYI Although James Bennet was speaking about New York Times when he defined the editorial board as “an institutional voice, but not the voice of the institution as a whole”, one can also infer that he spoke to what the board is, or should be about, in any serious publication. For sure, that is what the THISDAY editorial board represents. For the past 14 years, I have been fortunate to share ideas with incredible Nigerians from diverse backgrounds and worldviews brought together to deploy their knowledge and expertise on burning national issues.
Some have gone on to be governor, minister, commissioner, special adviser, federal lawmaker, and head of critical agencies, both at the centre and in the states. Although many of these respected citizens are no longer on the board, I have invited some to contribute to this special publication. And for good reasons too.
Whether in the life of an individual or a nation, a silver anniversary is a very significant milestone. It is even more so in this instance, given the political trajectory of our country. Nigeria’s first experiment in democracy lasted just six years.
The second attempt was even shorter: Four years and three months. Meanwhile, the Third Republic was aborted before it was even inaugurated. That the current democratic dispensation in our country has lasted a quarter of a century is indeed remarkable.
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