Tinubu Deserves a Second Term, Aremu Argues, Contrary to Obasanjo’s Stance
Despite the inherent challenges of nation-building, Nigeria has been described as a “Democracy Destination undergoing democratic consolidation,” countering recent high-profile claims about the decline of democracy in Africa.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, recently expressed concerns that democracy was dying in Africa, including Nigeria.
However, Comrade Issa Aremu, Director General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), rejected what he termed a growing trend of “democracy-pessimism” promoted by individuals who, he said, “owe their past leadership opportunities to the very democratic process they now criticize.”
Aremu made his remarks during two separate events: the 2025 Ramadan Lecture at the Institute in Ilorin and the special prayer session at Arewa House, Kaduna, commemorating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 73rd birthday. The prayer event was organized by the Arewa Think Tank Group on Saturday.
Calling for a deepening of democratic values, Aremu urged Nigerians to embrace “democratic optimism” and resist the drift toward “democratic despair.”
“With 19 registered political parties, 93.4 million registered voters, 176,846 polling units, seven concluded presidential elections since 1999, five elected Presidents—two of whom were re-elected—and one who graciously accepted electoral defeat, alongside hundreds of state and National Assembly elections, a free press, vibrant trade unions, civil society engagement, and constitutional freedoms, Nigeria exemplifies a living, functioning democracy,” Aremu stated.
Read Also:
He cautioned the media to not only report negative narratives but also scrutinize the motives and credibility of their proponents. According to him, both Obasanjo and Obi are afflicted by a “bring-down-what-I-cannot-control syndrome.”
“Democracy is not about always getting your way. The constitution defines our democratic system by simple majority—this is what made Obasanjo President twice, Peter Obi Governor, and a presidential candidate in 2023. Declaring democracy dead simply because power has eluded them is not only misleading but self-serving,” he said.
Aremu dismissed Obasanjo’s assertion that democracy is dying in Africa, citing recent democratic successes on the continent. “Namibia, following the death of President Hage Geingob in February 2024, seamlessly transitioned to its first female President, Nangolo Mbumba. In Senegal, 45-year-old Bassirou Diomaye Faye was democratically elected while his opponent, Amadou Ba, peacefully conceded defeat. Obasanjo must be operating from outer space to claim democracy is dying in Africa,” he remarked.
He emphasized that Africa’s development challenges require more—not less—democracy, urging a shift toward ideology- and program-based politics. He further called on the military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to restore constitutional rule through free and fair elections.
Aremu, who also served as Director of Labour Directorate in the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council during the 2023 elections, described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as an “audacious reformer” who “can and should seek a second term in 2027 to consolidate gains, particularly in the labour sector.”
He praised Tinubu’s recent approval of a N758 billion bond to settle long-standing pension liabilities, describing it as “a timely, compassionate, and statesmanlike intervention” and “the most impactful action under the Renewed Hope Agenda in the labour market, after the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act.”
By PRNigeria
