By Paul Okojie
Modern democracy in Nigeria was born out of struggle, sacrifice, and blood. Yet, what was envisioned as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, has been hijacked by a cabal of power-hungry elites, men and women who have bastardized its ideals and turned it into a playground of greed. These individuals, whom we can rightly call the bastard fathers of modern democracy and politics in Nigeria, are the architects of the rot that defines the nation’s political landscape today. They are everywhere around us, making proud claims of their lawless activities by dismantling the rule of law with no regards for the constitution they have sworn to protect.
The Betrayal of Democratic Ideals
When Nigeria gained independence in 1960, the dream was simple: self-governance, equity, and progress. The early nationalists fought to free the country from the shackles of colonial rule, envisioning a nation where leadership would be rooted in service. But the dream was short-lived. Ethnic politics, corruption, and power tussles replaced patriotism and collective progress. After seven years of self-rule a bloody civil war broke out due to the reckless and unguided behaviour of politicians. Alas! Today, we are still feeling the effect of the war even when the barrels have gone silent for 55 years.
Those who inherited the mantle of leadership after independence quickly transformed into colonial masters in native skin. They replicated the same oppressive systems they claimed to fight against. Instead of empowering citizens, they empowered themselves, their tribes men and cronies. The democratic dream became a business empire of 10% one built on manipulation, intimidation, vote-buying, and bloodshed, which have evoled today and has gone worse.
Military Legacies in Civilian Clothes
Nigeria’s so-called democracy has remained haunted by the ghosts of its military past. The generals who once ruled with guns traded their khakis for agbadas, rebranding themselves as “civilian democrats.” Yet, their mentality remained authoritarian. The culture of impunity, suppression of dissent, and greed was carried over into the new democratic era and many politicians today still have this military mentality.
These bastard fathers of modern-day politics in Nigeria have taught the next generation that politics is not about service, but about survival; not about the people, but about power. They have institutionalized corruption, weaponized poverty, perverted justice and silenced truth. Today, every election is a war, every appointment is a transaction, and every policy is a payoff.
The Death of Ideology
One of the greatest tragedies of Nigerian democracy is the total collapse of ideology. The political parties have become vehicles of convenience, not conviction. The same politicians jump from one party to another with reckless abandon, guided not by principles but by re-election and profit.
Our so-called leaders have no vision beyond the next election. They do not build; they bargain. They do not reform; they recycle. Their loyalty is not to the people but to the godfathers who fund their campaigns and dictate their actions. The nation suffers while the political class thrives. Being in politics now in Nigeria is a job and a career, they start from councillorship to presidential.
The People’s Complicity
Nigerians have raised terrible children in public service, this we must also admit as an uncomfortable truth: the people themselves have become victims and accomplices. Years of manipulation and hunger have made many Nigerians willing tools in the hands of their oppressors. Votes are sold for a bag of rice, conscience for a few thousand naira.
This is exactly what the bastard fathers wanted, they know how to keep the masses poor, divided, and dependent. They know that an enlightened, united populace would reject their deceitful rule.
The Way Forward: Reclaiming the Dream
It is not enough to condemn these men; Nigeria must now chart a new course. The future of democracy lies in the hands of a new generation, patriots who understand that leadership is not about title but responsibility.
We must rebuild our political culture on truth, equity, transparency, and justice. Civic education, youth participation, and electoral reform must be prioritized. The media, civil society, and the people must unite to expose and reject corrupt leadership at all levels.
The real fathers of democracy are those who stand for justice, equity, and the rule of law and not those who manipulate systems for personal gain. Until we name and reject the bastard fathers of Nigerian politics, democracy will remain a fragile illusion an empty ritual of elections without meaning, governance without morality, and freedom without progress.
Nigeria today, stands at a crossroads. The legacy of the bastard fathers still shapes the nation’s destiny, but the power to break free lies with the people. We can no longer afford to be spectators while our democracy is desecrated. The time has come to reclaim it, not with guns, but with truth, unity, and courage.
“The only way to stop a crime is stop what leads to crimes”. The democracy we have today is for us the people and it must remain by us the people.
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Okojie, a journalist wrote in from Benin City.
