\u2026Warns of Fragile Democracy<\/b><\/p>\n
A renowned essayist and public affairs analyst, Professor Anthony Kila, has described the political choices of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi as \u201cmaterially understandable but morally questionable,\u201d while warning of what he termed the growing fragility of Nigeria\u2019s democratic system.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the Cambridge African Round Table (CARt)\u2014an international platform that brings together analysts, corporate and public leaders, diplomats, and scholars\u2014Kila noted that Obi\u2019s decision to seek a viable political platform aligns with practical political realities.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a politician seeking to be on the ballot, he needs a viable platform to ensure he can run for office,\u201d Kila said, describing the move as materially justified.
\nHowever, he cautioned against what he described as a troubling moral posture in Nigerian politics.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea of saying \u2018me or nobody else can save Nigeria\u2019 is morally wrong,\u201d he stated. \u201cIt casts Peter Obi\u2014and indeed any politician, whether Atiku, Amaechi, or others\u2014as more self-serving than willing to serve the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kila, a Professor of Strategy and Development, also turned his attention to the opposition landscape, noting that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) had an opportunity to reshape Nigeria\u2019s political culture but seemed to be falling short.<\/p>\n
According to him, the party could have provided a new model of leadership rooted in inclusion and collective purpose.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ADC had the chance to redefine leadership and offer Nigeria a collective and inclusive model,\u201d he said. \u201cA platform built on agreed programmes, where all capable aspirants have clear roles and opportunities to serve, and where whoever flies the flag represents the collective strength of the group.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added pointedly, \u201cClearly, the APC of 2014 is doing better than today\u2019s opposition.\u201d
\nBeyond individual political actors, Kila expressed deep concern about the broader health of Nigeria\u2019s democracy, warning that its institutional foundations are becoming increasingly vulnerable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a risk to democracy if entire political parties can be easily derailed by court cases instituted by individuals who do not get their way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He emphasised the importance of political parties as pillars of democratic governance.
\n\u201cPolitical parties are essential components of a liberal democracy. If we do not consciously protect them, then democracy itself is at risk,\u201d Kila warned.<\/p>\n
Kila concluded by framing the current political moment as a test of leadership for Nigeria\u2019s opposition and the political class at large. He also called on the ruling party to do all it can to ensure it is not perceived as the invisible hand behind the travails of opposition parties in the country.
\n\u201cThere is a leadership test for the opposition, and the Nigerian political class seems to be doing badly overall,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
His remarks come amid ongoing political realignments and debates over party structures, leadership models, and the future of Nigeria\u2019s democratic system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2026Warns of Fragile Democracy A renowned essayist and public affairs analyst, Professor Anthony Kila, has described the political choices of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21902,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21901"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21901\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21903,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21901\/revisions\/21903"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}