Nigeria’s democracy is fundamentally threatened by poverty, according to former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara.
Dogara stated this while giving a speech on “Democracy and the Free Market Economy” at a gathering in Lagos.
The majority was not being successfully served by democracy, he emphasized, as seen by the pervasive poverty among Nigerians.
“Our democracy is not working for the majority of our citizens. Although they are alive and free, they lack the means to pursue happiness.
“Poverty is a greater threat to democracy than weak institutions because it deprives poor citizens of their political voice and prevents them from holding their governments accountable; shattering public trust in democratic institutions,” he said.
The former Speaker of the 8th Assembly, who served as Speaker for 16 years while representing the Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa-Balewa Federal Constituency, emphasized the value of utilizing democratic rights to create an inclusive economy that enables the majority of Nigerians to realize their full potential.
