Connect with us

News

Democracy Risks Collapse If It Goes On Current Trend – Obasanjo

Published

on

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

 

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that democracy risks collapse if it continued to be practiced in its current form without urgent reforms.

Speaking on Wednesday at the Democracy Dialogue of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Obasanjo said that while democracy was originally conceived as “government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” it has drifted far from that vision.

“Democracy dies because democracy has refused to be reformed,” he declared. “There are three aspects of democracy that cannot continue to exist the way it was as defined by the American president; government of the people, by the people and for the people.

In that definition, democracy is meant to be all people’s action. And if democracy will not die and be buried, democracy must be reformed in context, in content, and in practice.”

Advert

Obasanjo likened the failures of democracy to a local proverb in his part of the world, “The thing that killed the vegetable is the insect in the vegetable.” He explained that democracy was being destroyed from within due to the way it is currently practiced.

The thing that is killing democracy and will kill it is the practice of democracy,” he warned. “All the essentials that should be part and parcel of democracy are being ignored or bastardised in such a way that democracy has failed to deliver. And democracy cannot deliver unless it is reformed. If it is not reformed, it will not only fail, it will die and be buried.”

The former president, however, argued that despite its flaws, democracy remains irreplaceable.

“There is not any real substitute for democracy as it was originally designed; government of the people all the people. What we have now is government of some people, by some people, over all the people,” he lamented.

He further criticised the interpretation of democracy as simply “government of the majority,” insisting that this perspective marginalises minorities and undermines inclusivity.

“And they talk of government of democracy as government of majority. If you talk of government of majority, what do you do with the minority? Then minority is not part of the people?” Obasanjo queried.

The elder statesman’s remarks came amid growing global conversations about the decline of democratic values, weak institutions, and the rise of authoritarian tendencies across various regions.

 

News

RATTAWU Kano Mourns Veteran Broadcaster Adamu Ibrahim Getso, Condoles Family

Published

on

 

 

 

 

The Kano State Council of the Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU) has expressed deep sorrow over the death of veteran broadcaster and former Director-General of Abubakar Rimi Television (ARTV), Alhaji Adamu Ibrahim Getso.
The Chairman of RATTAWU Kano State Council, Comrade Babangida Mahmouda Biyamusu, on behalf of the State Executive Council and members of the union, led a high-powered delegation on a condolence visit to the family of the late media icon.
In a condolence message signed by the union’s Public Relations Officer, Mustapha Idris Yola, and made available to Pressmen, Comrade Biyamusu described the passing of Alhaji Adamu Ibrahim Getso as a monumental loss not only to the media industry but also to Kano State and the nation at large.
He noted that the late broadcaster devoted more than three decades of his life to public service, information dissemination, mentorship, and the promotion of professional journalism and broadcasting.
According to him, the legacy of professionalism, integrity, dedication, and excellence left behind by the deceased will continue to inspire present and future generations of journalists and broadcasters.
“On behalf of RATTAWU Kano State Council, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the immediate family of the late Alhaji Adamu Ibrahim Getso, the Kano State Government, the management and staff of ARTV and Radio Kano, his friends, associates, and the entire people of Kano State over this irreparable loss,” Biyamusu stated.
He added that RATTAWU would continue to cherish and remember the immense contributions of the late media veteran to the growth and development of the broadcasting industry in Kano State and Nigeria as a whole.
The union prayed to Almighty Allah (SWT) to forgive the shortcomings of the deceased, grant him Aljannatul Firdaus, and give his family, friends, and loved ones the strength and fortitude to bear the loss.

Advert

Continue Reading

News

Senate Leader Proposes Single Six-Year Term for President, Governors After 2027

Published

on

 

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has announced plans to sponsor a bill introducing a single six-year tenure for Nigeria’s president and state governors, to take effect after the 2027 general elections.

Speaking with reporters in his office on Tuesday, Bamidele said the proposed legislation would be among the first he presents when the next Senate is inaugurated. He argued that a single, longer term would allow elected leaders to focus entirely on governance, rather than on re-election campaigns.

“One of the first set of bills that I look forward to moving, by God’s grace, when we come back for the 11th Senate, is a bill that will make it possible for anyone who wants to be president of this country, or governor in any part of this country, to spend only one term of six years,” Bamidele said.

Advert

He criticized the current two-term arrangement, noting that it forces officeholders to spend a significant portion of their first term on political calculations and preparations for re-election.

“So that you don’t even have to worry about wasting almost one and a half years of your first term thinking and struggling and looking forward to how you’ll be re-elected,” he explained. “If you know you are there for six years, only one tenure, you put in your best from day one. You know this is the only chance that you have.”

Acknowledging that the proposal may not attract universal support, Bamidele maintained that lawmakers have a duty to pursue reforms they believe will strengthen governance.

“That’s my opinion. It doesn’t mean everybody will agree with me. But it also does not mean that I am prevented from doing that because that has not been the law,” he said. “The essence of law, the essence of parliament, is that laws are like human beings; they grow.”

If formally introduced and passed by the National Assembly, the proposal would require constitutional amendments before it can take effect.

Continue Reading

News

JUST IN: House of Reps Summon Service Chiefs, Ribadu over Rising Insecurity

Published

on

 

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The house of representatives has summoned the service chiefs and Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA), to appear before the parliament over the rising incidents of insecurity across the country.

Advert

The green chamber passed the resolution during Tuesday’s plenary following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Sulaiman Gumi, lawmaker representing Gummi/Bukkuyum federal constituency in Zamfara state.

N

Continue Reading

Trending