Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said Nigeria’s democracy should not be judged by the participation of specific opposition figures or political parties in elections.
Speaking in remarks reported by The Sun on Thursday, July 9, 2026, Wike said democracy is founded on adherence to the law, credible elections, and equal opportunities for all qualified political parties and candidates to participate.
He argued that the absence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, or any other prominent politician from an election does not mean democracy has failed. According to Wike, some people mistakenly believe Nigeria can only be considered democratic if particular opposition parties or candidates are on the ballot.
“The only way people now say there is democracy is if the ADC or NDC participate in the election… Democracy is not about only Atiku contesting or only Peter Obi contesting,” Wike said.
He maintained that democratic governance should be measured by the strength of electoral institutions and the fairness of the electoral process rather than the participation of individual politicians.
