Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Prince Adewole Adebayo says Nigeria has not yet achieved “true democracy,” describing the current political system as “civilian rule.” Speaking after Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebrations, he argues that despite uninterrupted civilian governance since 1999, key democratic principles—including accountability, adherence to the rule of law, credible elections, and protection of citizens’ welfare—remain weak or missing.
Adebayo links the democratic deficit to worsening living conditions, warning that rising poverty contributes to insecurity and could, if not addressed, lead to instability. He also criticises the government’s claims of reforms as superficial, saying that measures such as renaming problems or changing taxes do not amount to genuine reform.
In his view, meaningful change requires real constitutional reforms. He calls for strengthened independence for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and for election results to be transmitted in real time to increase transparency and public confidence in elections. His remarks are made amid broader public discussion about Nigeria’s democratic progress more than three decades after the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
