- He said the political elite has destroyed the country’s democracy by undermining and compromising key institutions and arms of government.
The former Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, has bemoaned Nigeria’s descent into fascism amid the continued erosion of its democracy.
He said the political elite has destroyed the country’s democracy by undermining and compromising key institutions and arm of government.
Dickson voiced his grievances while speaking at a one-day workshop organised by the Nigerian Civil Society’s Alliance for Democratic Change in Abuja on Monday.
Speaking on the theme of the event titled “Safeguarding Nigeria’s Democracy Through Unity and Resolve,” Dickson accused Nigeria’s political class of “systematically destroying the nation’s democracy”.
He stated that Nigeria’s political class is “unknowingly committing class suicide,” asserting that their actions have not only undermined the nation’s democratic institutions but are pushing the country further into crisis.
“The Nigerian political class has killed this country, and you guys [civil society] should not let it happen. They are killing Nigeria; they are making this country look small.
“Our own democracy is the wishes and caprices of the president or a governor… They don’t even care how the world looks at Nigeria,” he said, lamenting what he described as a deep disregard for ”constitutionalism and democratic norms.”
The Senator from Bayelsa State West did not spare the judiciary, describing it as “helpless” and often reduced to reading “body language” instead of interpreting the law.
According to him, court rulings have become predictable tools in the hands of those who control power.