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Former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has said Nigeria’s democratic system is still evolving and has a long way to go before attaining full maturity.
Fashola made the remarks during an appearance on TVC News’ Beyond the Headlines programme where he reflected on the country’s democratic journey, the role of elected officials and the need for political maturity.
According to the former governor, many Nigerians expect to feel the direct impact of their elected representatives, particularly lawmakers, even though their primary constitutional responsibility is to make laws.
He noted that legislators often struggle to convince constituents of their performance by merely highlighting the number of bills they have sponsored or passed.
“Nigerians want to feel the impact of their representatives, especially lawmakers,” Fashola said.
He explained that it would be difficult for a legislator to return to constituents and say, “I have initiated and passed three bills and also sponsored resolutions for you,” as many people would consider that inadequate representation.
“Most Nigerians will simply tell such a lawmaker, ‘We are not feeling you,'” he said.
According to him, this expectation has diverted many lawmakers from their core legislative responsibilities, as they increasingly focus on constituency projects and other activities aimed at satisfying public demands.
Fashola expressed optimism that Nigeria’s democratic culture would eventually mature to a stage where political debates are driven by ideas and policies rather than personalities.
He cited developments in the United Kingdom, pointing to the policy direction announced by the country’s new Prime Minister on tackling the cost-of-living crisis as an example of how governance should stimulate constructive public discourse.
According to him, such policy pronouncements have also helped galvanise the opposition and deepen democratic engagement through meaningful debate on government programmes.
Fashola also emphasised the critical role of the judiciary in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy, describing it as an essential institution in the country’s democratic evolution.
The former Minister of Works further urged politicians to embrace sportsmanship after elections, stressing that not every electoral dispute should end up in court.
Recalling an off-cycle election involving his political party, Fashola said an internal poll had predicted defeat, and when the official results confirmed the outcome, he advised against challenging the result in court.
“In one of the off-cycle elections that we participated in, we had a poll and it told us we would lose and when the result came out, we lost. I said we should not go to court, and we did not,” he said.
He added, “Something can’t be good only when it favours you. We have to be gracious in defeat.”
Fashola maintained that accepting electoral outcomes and promoting issue-based politics would help strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions and accelerate the country’s democratic development.
