‘Democracy does not exist in Nigeria’ — Peter Obi (updated)

The Labour Party (LP) candidate in the 2023 presidential election and former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed disgust at the state of democracy in Nigeria.

Mr. Obi made the remarks on his X, formerly Twitter, handle @PeterObi, on Friday, March 21, 2025.

The LP flagbearer wrote:

“The parliamentary vote held yesterday clearly demonstrates that democracy, in its true sense, does not exist in Nigeria.

“Where there is no functional opposition, democracy cannot thrive. Opposition is a critical pillar of any democratic system.

“It ensures that the right things are done, holds the ruling party accountable, and offers alternative viewpoints.”

Comparing South Africa and Indonesia with Nigeria

Peter Obi then drew a comparison of South Africa’s and Indonesia’s democratic system with Nigeria’s.

He noted that the two mentioned countries practise “a system that supports proportional representation”, which allows democracy to thrive.

He said further:  “However, an effective opposition can only exist within a system that supports proportional representation—an approach practised in countries like South Africa and Indonesia.

“In South Africa, for example, the National Assembly has 400 seats.

“The African National Congress (ANC) received about 40% of the vote and holds approximately 160 seats, while the Democratic Alliance (DA), with about 20% of the vote, holds around 80 seats—alongside several other parties.

“Those who contested the presidential election remain the recognised leaders of their respective parties.

“A similar situation exists in Indonesia and other countries where democracy is genuinely practised.”

Maintaining party discipline and preserving electoral mandate

Respecting how to maintain party discipline and preserve electoral mandate, the former Anambra governor suggested laws that will prohibit elected officials from switching parties.

If they do, Obi opined, then they should forfeit their seats.

This, he noted, will contribute to a more balanced, accountable, and credible democratic process.

He continued: “As is the norm in such systems, laws prohibit elected officials from switching parties without forfeiting their seats.

“This helps maintain party discipline and preserves the sanctity of the electoral mandate.

“These mechanisms contribute to a more balanced, accountable, and credible democratic process.

“If that were the case in Nigeria, our Senate—comprising 109 seats—would be more reflective of electoral realities, with the APC holding 44 seats, the PDP 33 (under the leadership of Atiku), and the Labour Party 27 (under my leadership).

“Ideally, the House of Representatives should mirror this balance, with approximately 144 APC members, 108 PDP members, and 90 Labour Party members.

“But this is far from the case.

“The absence of laws restricting party defection allows politicians to switch allegiances freely and without consequence.

“This not only weakens the opposition but also makes a mockery of the electorate’s will and undermines the integrity of our democratic institutions,” he lamented.

‘Transactional democratic system, organised criminality’

Finally, Obi decried what he described as ‘transactional democratic system’, which culminates into an “organised criminality”.

The solution, he said, is implementation of “reforms to entrench true democratic principles”.

He stated: “What we are left with is not a genuine democratic system, but one that is transactional, compromised, and, in many respects, resembles organised criminality.

“Unless we urgently implement reforms to entrench true democratic principles, enforce party discipline, and ensure fair representation, Nigeria’s democracy will remain fragile and dysfunctional.

“But we will not surrender to criminality.

“We shall continue to fight for democracy—genuine democracy,” Peter Obi concluded.

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