A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has stated that Nigeria’s Western-style democracy has failed to deliver good governance and national unity. He insists that it is time for the country to reconsider its governance structure and explore alternative systems.
In an interview on Channels Television on Monday, Agbakoba, a lawyer and human rights activist, said the current model, adopted from Europe and America, has not worked for Nigeria over the 25 years of democracy.
“This is not the Nigeria I envisioned. I believed things would have improved significantly,” he said. “There is something fundamentally wrong with a system that fails to deliver. We need to reflect and ask whether this Western model truly suits us.”
Agbakoba, 71, pointed to countries like China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which, despite lacking Western-style democracy, have made substantial development progress. He questioned if the democratic model as practiced in Nigeria is the only viable option.
“China is not democratic in the Western sense, yet it has lifted 900 million people out of poverty. Meanwhile, Nigeria remains trapped in underdevelopment and inequality,” he remarked.
He criticised Nigeria’s presidential system, modelled after that of the United States, as poorly implemented, resulting in marginalisation, exclusion, and disempowerment at the grassroots level.
“The biggest problem in Nigeria is exclusion. Power is overly centralised in Abuja, while the 774 local governments are weak or almost non-existent. This is a disaster,” he stated.
Agbakoba also highlighted the lack of a strong opposition, noting that many politicians are more focused on seizing power than on nation-building.
“It’s a winner-takes-all system. Everyone wants to be in government; no one wants to be in opposition. This kills accountability,” he explained.
He said recurring voter apathy signals a loss of faith in the system. “People don’t vote because they gain nothing from it. They are hungry and suffering. Politicians only appear every four years to make promises, then disappear.”
Reflecting on past national conferences, including the 2014 national confab, Agbakoba said their recommendations have been ignored by successive governments.
“The problem is not a lack of ideas. The problem is that kleptocrats who have hijacked power resist reform. They prefer the system as it is,” he said.
Expressing concern about growing instability, he called for urgent national dialogue to rethink Nigeria’s governance framework.
“We need a new model and a serious conversation. Nigeria is dangerously close to the edge, and we must face the reality of the situation.”
He added: “Nigeria is currently very unstable. It cries out for leadership, and unless we act decisively, things will only worsen.”
Agbakoba clarified that he does not support military rule but argued that all options, including radical systemic change, should be considered to prevent Nigeria’s collapse.
“Do I have all the answers? No. But we must be bold enough to ask the difficult questions and explore alternatives. Nigeria is heading downhill, and there are capable people who can fix it if given the opportunity.”
