By Chinelo Obogo
A former Deputy National President of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has said that Nigeria’s democracy is at risk while calling on the nation to return to the foundational principles of governance and the rule of law.
In a statement titled “Wither Nigeria? A Reflection for Our Democracy,” George cited the Magna Carta of 1215 to buttress his concerns, declaring that “No authority is above the law.”
The former military governor warned that the three pillars of a functioning democracy which he said are the rule of law, freedom of opposition, and the independence of institutions are under threat, and that where these are weakened, democracy itself is placed at risk.
On the role of opposition in governance, George stated that “the right of opposition voices to organise, to speak, and to contest power is not a privilege granted by those in authority, it is a constitutional necessity and to suppress dissent or undermine opposition structures is to erode the very framework that legitimises governance.”
He then said that no modern president however powerful can stand above the law or act outside the constitutional order and cited the English monarchy that was compelled to accept limits on its authority over 800 years ago.
George further said that when opposition is silenced, accountability diminishes, governance weakens, public trust erodes.
