ADC’s Open Letter to Nigerians on Democracy Day
Fellow Nigerians,
Today, as our nation marks Democracy Day, we join millions of our compatriots across the country in paying tribute to all those who sacrificed, struggled, and stood firm in defence of the democratic freedoms we enjoy today.
June 12 remains one of the most important dates in our national history—a reminder that the Nigerian people have always believed that their voices matter, that their votes should count, and that government must ultimately derive its legitimacy from the consent and confidence of the governed.
But our Democracy Day must be more than a celebration of the past. It must also be an honest reckoning with the present.
This is because democracy is not measured by the number of years since military rule ended. It must be measured by the meaning it has brought to citizenship and the freedoms it has brought to citizens – freedom from fear, freedom from poverty, freedom to participate and freedom to choose.
It is about whether citizens are safer; whether families live better; whether young people get opportunities; whether institutions command public trust; and whether government remains accountable to the people from whom it derives its authority.
Twenty-seven years after the return to democratic rule, and three years into the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, we ask you these simple questions: Is your life better today than in the past? Do you feel safer today than you felt in the past? Do you trust the government more than before? The answer to these questions is no doubt painfully clear: a resounding no.
Across vast stretches of our country, insecurity continues to cast a shadow over everyday life. In Nigeria, life has assumed a Hobbesian reality: nasty, brutish and short. Every single day, Nigerians are killed in their dozens and kidnapped in their hundreds. Bandits and other criminal elements openly negotiate for ransoms and set the terms of co-existence. The most important job of a government is to protect the citizens. But is there any one of you today who believes that this government can protect anybody? This is why entire villages are deserted. This is why schools are hurriedly shut and children withdrawn even in the middle of examinations. Government is getting weaker; criminals are getting stronger.
At the same time, a severe cost-of-living crisis continues to squeeze households across the country. The prices of food, transportation, housing, healthcare, and education have risen beyond the reach of millions of ordinary citizens. Workers watch their incomes lose value. Small businesses struggle to survive. Parents make impossible choices between feeding their families, paying school fees, and meeting basic household needs.
Our young people, who should be the engine of national renewal and economic growth, increasingly confront a future defined by uncertainty. Many cannot find meaningful employment. Many others no longer see a future for themselves within our borders. A generation that should be building Nigeria is increasingly searching for opportunities elsewhere.
And perhaps most troubling of all, public confidence in our democratic institutions continues to erode. Increasingly, Nigerians question whether government listens, whether institutions serve the public interest, and whether democracy is delivering on its most basic promise: that the people should have both a voice and a stake in the future of their country.
These are not opposition talking points. They are the concerns of a nation that is demanding not excuses, but answers; not propaganda, but performance; not promises, but progress.
Today, therefore, we believe the most meaningful way to honour the democratic struggle of June 12 is not through self-congratulation, but through honesty. It is by speaking truthfully about the condition of our country, acknowledging the hardships our people face, and presenting a credible path forward.
For while Nigeria faces profound challenges, we reject the notion that decline is inevitable. We reject the idea that the insecurity that we face is a natural extension of global insecurity, and therefore inevitable. We reject that the hardships that we face is a necessary sacrifice for a better tomorrow.
We believe that all the afflictions that we face as a people are direct manifestations of the affliction that the ruling party (APC) represents. Insecurity reflects their incompetence and indifference. Growing poverty reflects their wrong-headed economic policy that celebrates statistics but remains indifferent to human suffering. Weak institutions reflect their brazen lack of accountability and wanton disrespect for the rule of law.
The ruling party would tell you that you should endure, that there is light at the end of the tunnel. But they continue to live the life of obscene luxury and excesses. They tell you that there is no alternative to the policies that has brought you so much pains and suffering, that you must continue to endure. They ask you to give them the opportunity to do more. But what they are not telling you is that they are only asking for opportunity to do more damage. This APC government has no solution to insecurity. All they have is condolence messages and empty threats to bandits and criminals. They have no solution to the cost of living crisis that is taking away your dignity. All they have is propaganda and more promises of a better life in the future.
The African Democratic Congress says there are alternatives. We insist that this insecurity, fear and poverty are not inevitable or insurmountable. We believe that security is not just a military challenge. It is a national development challenge requiring intelligence, technology, coordination, accountability, and community partnership.
For too long, successive governments have approached insecurity primarily through reactive measures. Criminals attack. Government responds. Criminals regroup. Government responds again. The result has been an endless cycle of violence without a sustainable strategy for prevention.
The ADC believes Nigeria must adopt a fundamentally different approach.
Our party’s policy framework recognises that security must be intelligence-led, technology-enabled, community-informed, and locally responsive. We believe that state and local authorities must play a greater role in securing their communities, working in partnership with federal institutions. We believe that security agencies must be better equipped, better coordinated, and more accountable for outcomes. We believe that intelligence gathering must become proactive rather than reactive. And we believe that the protection of farming communities, food-producing regions, schools, transportation corridors, and critical infrastructure must become a national priority.
Most importantly, we believe that security spending must be judged not by how much money is appropriated, but by whether citizens are safer. The measure of success is not the size of a budget. The measure of success is whether a farmer can return safely to his farm. Whether a trader can travel without fear. Whether parents can send their children to school without anxiety. Whether citizens can live, work, worship, and pursue opportunity in peace.
That is the standard by which Nigerians should judge every government. And it is by this standard that this administration has failed.
ADC believes that democracy must mean more than the right to vote. It must also mean the opportunity to work, to provide for one’s family, and to live with dignity. Government points to economic reforms and improving macroeconomic indicators. But Nigerians do not live inside economic reports and global economic ratings. Economic growth means little if citizens do not feel its benefits. Reform means little if it is not accompanied by relief. This is why, the ADC believes that economic policy must ultimately be judged by one simple standard: whether it improves the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
We believe that growth must be inclusive. We believe that prosperity must be broad-based. And we believe that every Nigerian who is willing to work hard should have a realistic pathway to economic advancement. The promise of democracy is not merely freedom. It is the opportunity to build a better life. Today, for too many Nigerians, that promise remains unfulfilled.
The African Democratic Congress believe there is a better way. At the heart of the ADC’s vision is a simple principle: government must work for the people. Every policy. Every reform. Every budget. Every institution. We will put the Nigerian people first. That philosophy underpins everything contained within the ADC’s policy framework.
We believe that economic reform must be humane. That is why we will bring down the cost of energy and put more money in people’s pocket. That is why we will cut the cost of governance, reduce waste, simplify taxation, protect low-income earners, support small businesses, and ensure that economic growth translates into lower prices, more jobs, and higher living standards.
We believe that food security must become a national priority. A nation that cannot feed itself cannot truly prosper. We will place farmers at the centre of agricultural policy, expand mechanisation, revive irrigation infrastructure, strengthen food reserves, improve storage and logistics systems, and take deliberate action to reduce food inflation and protect households from sudden price shocks.
We believe that democracy must be accountable. Government spending must be transparent. Public institutions must work. Corruption must be prevented before it occurs. The rule of law must apply equally to everyone. And elected officials must remember that public office is a trust, not an entitlement. That is why we will strengthen transparency, publish legislative voting records, reform electoral administration, and restore public confidence in the institutions of our democracy.
All of these we have encapsulate in the governance principle and ethical framework of our party, which is not embedded in our party constitution as a living standard by which our government would be held accountable.
We believe that government should once again be judged by results. Not by headlines. Not by speeches. Not by excuses. But by whether Nigerians are safer. Whether Nigerians are more prosperous. And whether Nigerians can once again believe that their country is moving in the right direction.
That is the Nigeria the ADC seeks to build. And that is the choice that lies before our nation.
We wish you all a happy democracy day.
Bolaji Abdullahi
National Publicity Secretary
African Democratic Congress (ADC).
