—— Says democracy is evolutionary, shaped over time by the choices and actions of the people.
Former Director General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, made this known while speaking on a topic “One on One with Osita Okechukwu,” on the programme, Political Conversations on Freedom Square TV, anchored by Uchenna Cyril Anioke.
Okechukwu, emphasized that democracy in Nigeria must be seen as an evolving process driven by consistent citizen participation rather than sudden revolutionary actions.
Okechukwu noted that meaningful democratic progress cannot be achieved through sporadic agitation alone but the strength of any democracy lies in the willingness of the people to engage continuously in the electoral process.
He stressed that the Electoral Act provides a framework for credible elections but warned that its effectiveness ultimately depends on how actively citizens participate.
According to him, “the brain of democracy is on popular participation, some people take democracy as a revolution. It is not a revolution but evolutionary in growth. No matter the critics on the 2023 general elections, there are about nine sitting governors who could not get their seat to the Senate. Were they pulled down by what — the people’s votes. Every governor knows it today that if you maltreat your people, you might not get their votes, there is no magic about that. They say electoral Act is swapped and I ask them, the transmission of results was not in writing — black and white before but it is in black and white today with a caveat if there was no network. It is the citizenry of the country that will make sure that on voting day, they go to the polling unit and make sure that whoever is representing their polling units transmit results. But it is not that day, some people will go to bed and sleep especially in this part of the country and some will even be playing football that day and our brothers in the North will troop in thousands and hundreds and stay there until the votes are counted and delivered. Plato once said that for those who fail to vote for whomever they think is a good person are those who elected bad people because by absention you elect bad people.”
Okechukwu further called on Nigerians, especially young voters, to move beyond political apathy and take advantage of the provisions of the Electoral Act. He highlighted the importance of voter registration, peaceful engagement, and holding leaders accountable as key elements of a thriving democratic system.
While acknowledging existing challenges in Nigeria’s electoral system, he maintained that gradual reforms and sustained public involvement would yield better results than disruptive approaches.
He therefore urged electoral stakeholders to remain committed to transparency and fairness to build public trust ahead of the 2027 polls.