By joshua THE DEATH OF TRUTH
By Abu Michael
In recent times, one thing has become painfully clear in Nigeria: truth has been relegated. Lies, dressed up as sycophancy, now pass for patriotism. For a country richly blessed with human, natural, and capital resources — once the undisputed giant of Africa — we have become a shadow of ourselves.
Our youths have lost faith. They no longer dream of building Nigeria; they dream of escaping it. South Africa, Ghana, even countries with fewer resources have become preferred destinations.
Young Nigerians now risk death crossing the Mediterranean, many dying unannounced and unmourned. The solution is not hidden. It is leadership. Yet leadership itself is the problem.
We have leaders at all levels who should be examples to the next generation, but they have turned lies and propaganda into statecraft. Speaking truth has become a sin. From the Executive to the Legislature and Judiciary, Nigeria has become a laughing stock. Our young people have lost hope.
A television station recently asked my opinion on whether Democracy is worth celebrating. My answer was simple: if what we are witnessing is democracy, then it is not worth celebrating, even though it remains a work in progress. Democracy Day, June 12, should be more than rice and music. It is a reminder of what we fought for and what we must still protect. Democracy is worth celebrating when our voices matter and we choose our leaders, not godfathers. It is worth celebrating when freedom to speak exists and you can ask what leaders are doing with public money without fear of arrest. It is worth celebrating when power changes peacefully, as it has since 1999 without coups or tanks on the streets, giving families and businesses stability. It is worth celebrating when more Nigerians are involved in governance, from councilors in the ward to senators in Abuja, so that power is distributed and not concentrated. It is worth celebrating when rights and space for growth exist — press freedom, human rights groups, youth activism like #EndSARS, women’s political participation.
The space is not perfect, but it exists to push for better. And it is worth celebrating when sacrifice is honored, because many Nigerians lost jobs, freedom, and lives fighting for this day. June 12 marks the moment Nigerians overwhelmingly voted for MKO Abiola in 1993 across ethnic and religious lines. Celebrating it means remembering that our vote counts and that collective choice is stronger than force.
But democracy is a tool, and like any tool, it works only if we maintain it. In Nigeria today the pitfalls are glaring. Elections often go to the highest bidder, not the best ideas, and “stomach infrastructure” on election day means leaders can win without a real plan. That weakens accountability after they get into office.
Our institutions are weak. INEC, the judiciary, and anti-corruption agencies are supposed to be independent, but political interference, funding issues, and delays make it hard for them to check power effectively. When institutions are weak, impunity thrives. Many politicians do not answer to voters first; they answer to godfathers who funded their campaigns, so decisions in office serve a small circle instead of the public.
We also vote based on ethnicity and religion instead of policy, track record, or competence. That divides us and lets leaders avoid tough questions about roads, jobs, health, and education. Civic education is low. A lot of Nigerians do not fully understand their rights, how the budget works, or what councilors and senators actually do.
When citizens do not know the rules, leaders bend them. Democracy means debate and checks, which is good, but in Nigeria it sometimes becomes endless meetings, stalled projects, and committee after committee while problems pile up. Because accountability mechanisms are weak, public funds get diverted, constituency projects disappear, and when offenders are not punished the cycle repeats.
Thuggery, ballot snatching, and post-election violence still show up in some places. Fear makes people stay home on voting day, so results no longer reflect the real will of the people.
I told the reporter all of this. He said it was “too harsh” for their station and asked me to make it mild so government would not feel offended. That exchange proved my point: truth has died in Nigeria. Are Nigerians better off now than under military rule? Or in the First and Second Republic when people were begged and consulted to take political office.
Today shame has been thrown overboard. Lies are painted sweet, but the result is motion without movement. A giant of Africa now opens its borders for food we can grow because farmers can no longer go to their farms. Insecurity is at its worst. Roads are death traps despite humongous budgetary allocations, with funds either unreleased or diverted by corrupt officials. The poor go to bed hungry and visit hospitals empty-handed, while the rich fly abroad for medical care.
Governance has been sacrificed for politics. If you do not stand on mandate, the weight of the mandate breaks on you. The rich eulogize evil in angelic choruses and swim in flamboyance. Those who dare protest or speak truth are labeled unpatriotic. No wonder our youths queue daily at foreign embassies, willing to endure any condition abroad just to escape Nigeria.
I am at a loss. How did truth die in Nigeria? When did saying what is right become a crime? The point is not that democracy has failed. The point is that democracy without truth is a lie. Until we resurrect truth in our leaders, institutions, and citizens, June 12 will remain just another public holiday.
Democracy is work in progress. Celebrating it must be both thanksgiving for how far we have come and a demand for more from leaders at all levels. Truth died. Nigeria cannot live until it rises again.
Abu Michael is a public affairs commentator. abumich60@gmail.com