Kayode Fayemi

As Nigeria marks Democracy Day, former Ekiti State governor Kayode Fayemi says the country achieved civilian rule in 1999 but has yet to experience true democracy.

Speaking during a special Channels Television forum on Yesterday, Fayemi warned against equating the right to vote with full democratic governance. The event, titled ‘Nigeria’s Democratic Journey: An Inter-Generational Conversation On Building A Better Nation’, featured political and civil society voices reflecting on the country’s democratic development.

“What we mustn’t do is conflate elections with democracy,” Fayemi said. “We got civilian rule in 1999, but real democracy is still a work in progress.”

Fayemi, a former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, called Nigeria’s system a “semi-democracy”, urging citizens and leaders to build on the efforts of past and current presidents, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to deepen democratic practices.

Reflecting on his pro-democracy activism during the military era, Fayemi recounted his role in running Radio Kudirat, a clandestine broadcast station that campaigned against General Sani Abacha’s dictatorship.

He said he and his colleagues took significant personal risks.

“I carried transmitters on an Air France flight destined for Cotonou that detoured to Lagos. I could have been arrested or killed like many others were,” he recalled.
“We weren’t fearless, just determined.”

Fayemi emphasised that those who died in the struggle should be remembered not as careless but as people driven by conviction.

He praised President Tinubu for honouring some democracy heroes with national awards but urged the government to recognise unsung heroes, including Radio Kudirat operators, for their contribution to Nigeria’s democratic journey.