Democracy Day is one of those occasions where everyone suddenly becomes an expert on democracy.
Some will celebrate it, some will criticize it, others will remind us how far we’ve come, while others will point out how far we still have to go.
But somewhere between the speeches, the headlines, and the social media debates, imagine for a moment that Democracy was not a concept or a system but an actual person. And on this Democracy Day, Nigerians are finally given the opportunity to sit down with “Democracy” for a conversation.
The conversation would probably go something like this.
Nigerians: We have questions! We know that we are patient as a people. We queue, we wait, we hope and we adapt, we may complain but then we will adapt some more. When we first met, you promised us a lot.
Democracy: That’s correct.
Nigerians: Development. Accountability. Better representation.
Democracy: Those were always the goals.
Nigerians: So, what exactly is happening?
Democracy: That’s a complicated question. I was never designed to be a magic wand. I cannot automatically fix roads, generate electricity or create jobs on and within myself. But what I can provide is something less visible but equally important: the opportunity for citizens to participate in shaping how their society is governed. However, the challenge is that opportunity and outcomes are not always the same thing.
Nigerians: Hmmm, okay. But we have been at this “democracy thing” for a while and it just seems like progress is so slow.
Democracy: I know. That’s a fair point.
Perhaps that is one of democracy’s biggest frustrations. It moves at the speed of ‘people’ and people are complicated. They bring different priorities, competing interests and different ideas about what the future should look like. Reaching agreement takes time. Sometimes much more time than anyone would like.
Nigerians: Hmm, so maybe one last question.
Democracy: I’m listening.
Nigerians: Are we even close to being there yet?
Democracy: Honestly, No.
You see, progress isn’t a destination. It’s a process.
That may sound like the kind of answer that belongs on a motivational poster but there is some truth in it. Democracy is not something a country achieves once and then forgets about. It is something people practise through elections, in communities and in everyday conversations. It depends on citizens who are willing to participate, engage and occasionally listen to views they disagree with.
By the end of the conversation, Nigerians would probably still have concerns. They would almost certainly have more questions. But they might also leave with a useful reminder.
Democracy is not perfect. No democracy is. Yet it remains one of the few systems that gives ordinary people the power to influence the direction of their society, however gradually.
So this Democracy Day, perhaps the question is not only what democracy has done for us. Perhaps it is also worth asking what we are doing with the voice, the choice and the responsibility that democracy gives us.
That conversation might be even more interesting.
Happy Democracy Day.
Victor Odogwu
