Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has said Nigeria’s democracy will remain fragile unless it is anchored on strong institutions, the rule of law and internal democracy within political parties.
Mr Ganduje also decried the absence of clear ideological differences among political parties, saying it had weakened the country’s democratic culture and encouraged politically motivated defections.
He stated this on Wednesday in Abuja at the public presentation of *Nigeria’s Journey to Democratic Rule*, a book authored by the Abuja Bureau Chief of *New Telegraph*, Onyekachi Eze-Odezulu.
According to the former APC chairman, democracy is more than the conduct of elections every four years.
“Democracy is much more than elections held every four years. It is built on the rule of law, constitutional order, credible electoral institutions and political parties that practise internal democracy,” he said.
Mr Ganduje noted that while Nigeria’s democratic journey had been long and challenging, the country had continued to make progress through the resilience of its institutions and citizens.
He lamented that the lack of ideological clarity among political parties had eroded democratic values and encouraged defections driven largely by personal interests rather than principles.
The former Kano State governor also reflected on his political journey, recalling that he resigned from his university lecturing position to contest for a seat in the House of Representatives in 1979 despite knowing that his party stood little chance of winning.
“I believed in the manifesto of my party and its nationalistic outlook. Although I lost the election, that experience became part of my democratic journey,” he said.
Mr Ganduje described the book as a timely contribution to Nigeria’s democratic history, saying it would serve as an important reference for political leaders, scholars, students and policymakers.
Earlier, former Governor of Nasarawa State, Sen. Tanko Al-Makura, represented by a former aide, described the publication as an important historical document that would help preserve Nigeria’s democratic experience.
Mr Al-Makura said understanding the country’s political history was essential to appreciating its democratic progress and preparing future generations for responsible leadership.
Also speaking, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, represented by the ministry’s Director of Publications, Ibidapo Okunnu, described the book as a valuable reference material for researchers and students, particularly at a time when Nigeria required accurate documentation of its transition from military rule to democratic governance.
The book reviewer, Prof. Rufai Alkali, said the publication presented a balanced account of Nigeria’s transition to constitutional democracy, documenting major political developments between 1986 and 1999, including the June 12 crisis and the eventual return to civilian rule.
Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, said democracy could only thrive where institutions remained strong and leaders were committed to constitutional governance.
The author, Eze-Odezulu, said he wrote the book to preserve Nigeria’s democratic history for future generations, stressing that documenting the country’s political evolution was necessary to ensure that the sacrifices made in the struggle for democracy were not forgotten.
