By Philip Yatai

The House of Justice and stakeholders in the democratic space in Kaduna State said on Friday that structural platforms must be created for citizens participation in the governance process for democracy to work in Nigeria.

The stakeholders stated this in Kaduna, at the House of Justice 2022 Summit with the theme, “Democracy and Political Participation”.

Ms Gloria Ballason, Chief Executive Officer, House of Justice, and the convener of the summit, said that the annual event was designed to put power in the hands of citizens to demand for justice.

Ballason, a legal practitioner, pointed out that there would not be democracy without citizens participation, stressing that without citizens participation all we would have would be autocracy or oligarchy but certainly not democracy.

She said that democracy doesn’t just happen; democracy is citizens demanding that things work, adding that there was nothing wrong with the Nigerian space.

According to her, what is wrong is the inability of the citizens to demand for what should be theirs and allowing the status quo to continue.

“So, this year, we thought that what is key is to get back the power and put it in the hands of citizens to be able to demand for the kind of governance that they need.

“It is really important that citizens see themselves at the centre and not on the side lines based on the manner in which democracy is being practiced in Nigeria.

“Political actors and indeed government officials have pushed the citizens to the edge, as such, our key ask this year is that citizens should not see themselves at the edge but at the centre.

“For obvious reasons, whether we are politicians or government officials, we have just one country. We are either going to devote ourselves to make this country work, or we will perish together.”  

Mr Frank Nweke Jnr, former Minister of Information in a keynote address on The Role of Citizens in a Democracy, said that citizens were the highest office holders in a democracy

Nweke Jnr said that citizens should not be spectators but active participants in the democratic space, stressing that citizens participation was what defines democracy.

Lamenting that the will of the majority has been muzzled in the country, the former minister said that the situation can be turned around if citizens were given the space to participate in the decision-making process.

During a panel discussion on “Party Politics and Democracy”, Mr Richard Umaru, Board of Trustee of the People Democratic Party, stressed the need for a structural participatory space for citizens.

Umaru, who is also the party’s Director, Research, Planning and Documentation, said that citizens must be provided with the needed space to participate in governance, policy making and implementation.

He said that the current Nigerian democratic space lacks a stricture mechanism that mainstream citizens in the governance process.

“Rather than being seen as just an object to achieve political power, citizens should be actively involved in deciding what is to be done, how it should be and when it should be done.

“To me, this is the biggest problem we have in the Nigerian democratic project,” he said.

Another panelist, Mr Danjuma Sarki, Member of the Presidential Campaign Council of the People Democratic Party, expressed concern that the constitutional right to freedom of speech has been eroded in the country’s democratic space.

Sarki said that freedom of speech must be protected to promote active participation for the growth and survival of the nation’s democracy.

Also, Mr Umar Yahaya, a former Youth Leader of the All Progressive Congress, said that by design, democracy was built around citizens participation.  

According to him, improving citizens’ participation will improve the quality of governance in the country.

“The citizens must define the agenda of governance because that is what is affecting their daily lives.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the other highlight of the event was the unveiling and presentation of A Memoir of Bavoshiya Nyan, a cancer survivor, published by House of Justice, tagged “Miracle Book”.

The book presents a story of resilience and hope in the voice of the survivor of breast cancer, intestinal cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, brain tumor and currently survives on oxygen cylinders.

The gubernatorial debate was attended by candidates of the ruling APC Sen. Uba Sani, New Nigerian People’s Party, (NNPP) candidate, Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi, People’s Redemption Party, (PRP) Mal. Hayatudeen Lawal, and that of Action Progressive Grand Alliance, Dr. Andrew Duya.

Others are Hon. Jonathan Asake of the Labour Party (LP) and Isa Ashiru of the People’s Democratic Party, who was represented by his running mate, Dr. John Ayuba. All the candidates promised to prioritise economic recovery, security and unity, if elected to office in 2023.