Research Article
DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGES IN AFRICA
Idegu Ojonugwa Shadrach*
Corresponding Author: Idegu Ojonugwa Shadrach, Department of Political Sciences, Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State, Nigeria.
Received: 02 December 2023; Revised: 23 December 2023; Accepted: 16 January 2024 Available Online: 30 January 2024
Share :
  • 114

    Views & Citations
  • 10

    Likes & Shares
Democracy is a suitable system of government to serve nationalities with divergent ethnicities, high population and it is filled different natural resources. African states are filled with this. And for that, democracy is suitable for disposal of formal things. This commentary elucidates needs to embrace democracy in Africa. However, Africa needs to put more efforts to enable full democratic workings. Needs for the western countries to help shape good governance in Africa are highlighted in order to have a safer world. Together, if the developed and developing countries can help the concerned citizens in Africa, democracy would help Africa get desirable results to a reasonable length despite some mal functionalities on natures of democracy. Nigeria is used to represent natures of other African States.

Keywords: Africans, Nigerians, Leaders, Challenges, Citizens, Resources, Workings, Measures, Enterprises and Candidates
Democracy has given rights and freedoms to exclusivity of maintenance of constitution. This has initiated jurisdiction of rule of law over humans and properties of a state.  Safeties and hopes are casted on good governance. Hence, democracy, a system of government that acknowledges equal representation and treatment of the citizens is the safest and honest system of government in a society with multiple ethnicities, religions and high population of citizens. But, it collapses so rapidly when its goals begin to fall apart. And, the collapse always give birth to a system of government having capacity to downturn every hope and safety of common citizens - just as it has been happening in some of the most corrupt African States, recently. (Ayodele Suyi, 2023).

Africa States have killed democracy and Nigeria has buried democracy. All case studies relating to Africa democracy have suffered reasonable scopes and fair analyses. Notwithstanding, Nigeria, the picture of Africa is the home base of a killer of democracy in the continent. Though, concerned citizens have been ups to regulate features of democracy - nothing seems happening. But, persistency attached would definitely create meaningful revolution (Ayodele Suyi, 2023). To help the continent, minds of the political leaders and aspiring leaders must be trained in exclusive progressions on needs to acknowledge growths and developments as a singular reason for governmental pursuits. Again, the electoral processes should be governed by international delegates until African leaders are ready to organize elections outside one-lopsided system.

One of the major problems African States are doing extremely bad in democracy is an act of old-fashioned and unmannered politicians’ quest to make politics an end-time enterprise. Well-mannered and young visionaries are not allowed to power as they always deploy all manners of activities to remain in power till death. They have equally added to pursuit to reserve power for their off springs while deserved citizens suffer from one point to another in vain. It is therefore good to say, some of African leaders have forgotten posterity (Bolawole Bola, 2023). The worst, in order of them to continue in power, they have indirectly engaged youths in crimes so they forget leaders as they make living from crimes. And for this, only youths that are ready to make changes across the continent suffer all kinds of problems. So, some of African States are neither in democracy nor in dictatorship. It is a continental issue at the moment, but it would make way to other continents soon as some Africans are traveling around the world with such blood. Note; Africans like dominion ship, so dearly. White colors are therefore not safe watching Africans suffer in the hands of their political leaders. Much more, if Americans, Europeans, Asians and Oceanians would love to protect themselves from future problems especially avoiding their next generations to work with such Africans blood to destroy legacies they have built overtime, it is then pertinent not to ignore well-meaning Africans suffer in the hands of their devilish political and religious leaders. And to this end, they can begin to pick talented and gifted Africans to build technologies that can guarantee safeties in the continent. Hence, corrupt minds and influences is the most dangerous pandemic in the world.

Democracy is one of the best system of governments since an erase of colonial era. It is not good enough to abandon democracy just for the way it is handled in Nigeria. However, it is too dangerous to play with democracy as it transits to dictatorial governance when abused by citizens, and it goes to militarism when political leaders have abused it. Freedom speak loud and rights govern activities in democracy. It is for this, a nation having different natural resources, ethnicities and religions like Nigeria and some Africa States - democracy, must be retained and enhanced. Having this, Africans especially Nigerians must try to protect their democracy from these greedy politicians especially in an administration that has highest numbers of corrupt and wicked politicians in Nigeria and other Africa States democratic era - that we hardly define authoritative and dictatorial amidst democratic system of governance as they do as wish and as they do before public notice. Only option left for Africans, is to wake up from internal and external ignorance to save the continent. The level of sufferings in the continent is too much and international embarrassments to as what happened due to electoral and judicial proceedings, is too much for Africans to bear and to leave the name for subsequent generations. Note; it is a complete sorrow and pity to discard fundamentalisms of democracy in Africa where natural resources are abundant; where population is outrageous and where ethnicity is on a high score. Be as it is, in scores of social stratifications, it is seen how lower class have been performing hard and harder every day at all angles to make sure survival is at peak - and, unfortunately, the middle class who are believed as elites, always try to supply upper class with information to suppress the lower class on a reason of getting selfish interest just as the upper class do. Then, the upper class are so happy to work with middle class (betrayals); just as they are oppressors. This is what Africa have. The lower class who provides food and security for the continent, suffers endlessly. So, democracy, having promising elements for poor masses have been killed and buried by African political leaders. In a nutshell, some of Africa States are democratic nations with no democratic workings.

One of the African States, Nigeria, has outrageously suffered since independence - from the military system of government to democratic governance. After the Nigerians have suffered in the hands of open tyrants, it has moved to open oppressors. Most hilariously, People's Democratic Party (PDP) administrations have killed democracy and All Progressive Congress (APC) administrations have buried democracy - the hope of poor masses. Nigeria has continued to produce unmannered politicians since the first republic to present republic - they have failed their citizens completely. Some of the politicians talk from afar like concerned citizens; some have large tongue and boring actions; some manipulate for personal interests but polish it as if is for citizens; and many of these types - are democratic songs of Nigeria. Continuous endurance with such activities under democratic governance is setting the nation, freely backward. Measures to kick these out are too available for concerned citizens to deliver. And, as a matter of urgency, concerned citizens at home and in diaspora need to team up once more to press for good changes of the nation. Using international democratic elements and weapons would be of great help. Direct measures which these elements and weapons are to observe and balance are the bank accounts of politicians; forfeiture of questionable properties; deportation of family members; restrictions of their movements whenever any indictment; independence of the judiciary and legislative from executive arms of government; restructuring of the constitution and electoral processes; inclusion of youths in all levels of political positions and an open national center for addressing and balancing public opinions, suggestions and analytical discourses of political, religious and social issues. Religious bodies must be charged to contribute to betterment of Nigeria as politics and religions are embodiments of societies. And, as it is, politics and religions are best enterprises in Nigeria. Therefore, just as citizens question political circles, so they have to do to religious circles. And largely, Nigeria problems are rooted in political and religious mismanagement - noting this would have a better way to help neutralize challenges facing Nigeria.

Using Nigeria as a pointer to some African States - Nigeria political leaders have recently advanced their enterprises with the religious leaders - to continually trade on intellectual and productive space of the citizens. Every effort made to standardize elements of democracy in Nigeria have received deadluck. And, in so doing, Nigeria is experiencing poor conditions. The three arms of government have adopted Nigeria as a household and there are using Nigerians for slavery. The politicians try to kill and frame well-meaning citizens that are arranging for reasonable protests. However, some of the citizens are too blind as they have been used to block those crying for freedom of the masses. That has earnestly made things difficult to work right in the nation. So, trying to kill ignorance of citizens and to liberate them from the oppressors, is a big job with big risk. And, if this is not worked, Nigeria would continue to decrease in strength and products. From all these, it is therefore, reasonable Nigerians continue to strive for better Nigeria to avoid a loss of their beloved nation.

Again, recently, Nigeria political leaders have made it open how lives of the citizens mean nothing to them. They now decide without including a singular aspect that could be of benefits to poor masses. They openly kill courageous spirits of the masses in doing that. Yet, the citizens keep struggling to make ends. And, even in the little citizens do, they keep frustrating. The worst happen as they still drag with the little poor masses have. Consequently, Nigerians are still slave in the middle of democracy the white thought it is practicing; and, Nigerians have been colonized by their own leaders. Invariably, religion that helps in balancing political circle of a nation, has in Nigeria, being another story. To this, poor masses have been imprisoned by political leaders and have been murdered by the religious leaders. Therefore, hopes of common Nigerians dwell in standard oblivion. What a shameful act of humanity.

Finally, one of the most fearful things in Nigeria political system is the continuous collapse of democratic elements across administrative changes - there is no better administration or government to another in every four years. Hence, Nigeria under the Buhari-led administration is totally devastated and, unfortunately, the present administration has crushed the country. Everything happening under Tinubu's administration appears like a joke in a beer parlour. So, just the way he made his way to the office, so, he is willing to arrange his administration. Just as he has started, if it is being arranged to an end, Nigeria has nothing to boast upon his completion of tenure. The only thing that could stop this, is for Nigerians to stand firm to defend their democracy before nothing is left to defend. Hence, the open manipulations on results of 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); the wrong interpretation of constitutions on the presidential judgment by the Supreme Court Justices; the high level of journalistic compromise in painting stories about political leaders by some veteran and outstanding journalists and columnists; high level of betrayals between colleagues just because of their different desired candidates; weaponization of youths just for tokens; selling of rights by delegates and electorates; and the host alike, have buried hopes of Nigeria. The Nigeria we know is in danger. Because, it seems, most of Nigerians are not realizing the mistakes on time - according to incumbent doings.

  1. Ayodele Suyi (2023). It is Finished Tribune Online Newspaper. Available online at: https://tribuneonlineng.com/it-is-finished/
  2. Ayodele Suyi (2023). Nigeria at 63 and Missing Brains Nigerian Tribune. Available online at: https://tribuneonlineng.com/nigeria-at-63-and-missing-brains/
  3. Bolawole Bola (2023). When Nigerians lose interest in democracy what next Naija Times. Available online at: https://ntm.ng/2023/11/15/when-nigerias-lose-interest-in-democracy-what-next/