Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Nigerian Bar Association president, Olisa Agbakoba, has praised Nigeria’s 26 years of uninterrupted civilian rule but warned that the country still falls short of a functional multi-party democracy.
Speaking on Nigeria’s democratic journey, Agbakoba described the milestone as a “half-full glass,” acknowledging progress since the end of military rule but stressing the need for deeper democratic consolidation.
“The fact that we have done 26 years uninterrupted, I would like to look at it as a half-full glass. I like to be optimistic and say that it is a long journey and that we have come a long way from the days of the military,” he said.
Agbakoba criticized the current political structure where, according to him, nearly all politicians aim to align with the ruling party, regardless of ideological differences.
“We still have a situation of just one party where everyone wants to join the national elite party. Whether it’s the PDP, APGA or APC, the manifestoes are not different,” he noted.
He emphasized the need for a clearly defined ruling party and a vibrant opposition to achieve a truly multi-party system, echoing concerns recently expressed by President Bola Tinubu during his address to the National Assembly.
“It is not perfect. There is a lot that still needs to be done. Democracy still needs to be consolidated,” Agbakoba concluded.
