Agbakoba faults Nigeria’s democracy, again urges shift from western model

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Olisa Agbakoba, has again raised concerns about the viability of Nigeria’s current democratic system, calling for a fundamental rethinking of the nation’s political framework.

Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme aired on Monday, Agbakoba criticized the collapse of opposition structures into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that such political realignments weaken rather than strengthen democracy.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s political journey since independence, Agbakoba said the country had experienced repeated failures in governance, despite having practiced democracy for over two decades.

“I thought things would have improved by now. But after all these years, starting from 1960 through military coups and 25 years of democracy, something is still fundamentally wrong,” he said.

Agbakoba questioned the suitability of the Western democratic model in Nigeria’s sociopolitical landscape. According to him, democracy as imported from Europe and America has failed to deliver the expected dividends to Nigerians, who are more concerned with the quality of life than with the structure of governance.

“Nigerians aren’t necessarily interested in who the president is,” he explained. “They want someone who will provide food, good schools, safe roads, timely salaries, and decent housing. Those are the real issues.”

Drawing comparisons with countries like China, which have recorded significant development without adopting Western-style democracy, Agbakoba urged leaders and citizens alike to consider a governance model that prioritizes results over political formalities.

He emphasized that Nigeria’s challenges are exacerbated by deep-rooted ethnic, religious, and linguistic divisions. “We must ask ourselves a difficult but necessary question: is this current system truly working for us?”

Agbakoba’s remarks come at a time when several politicians from opposition parties have defected to the APC. The former president of the Nigerian Bar Association expressed concern over this trend, warning that it undermines democratic checks and balances.

“If opposition parties believe they’re being strategic by defecting, I’m here to tell them they’re not. It weakens the system and hurts ordinary Nigerians. The true test of leadership is the willingness to stand in the gap, even when it’s not politically convenient.”

He called on principled politicians to resist the lure of power and instead help build a credible, effective opposition that holds the government accountable, an essential ingredient for any functioning democracy.

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