Ideally, people’s participation is the beauty of democracy and a free and fair election is the barometer for representative governance.
But democracy in Nigeria is not a gift. Never a tea party. It is real hard work. Wrestling in the mud so to say. Not a walk in the park. It could be messy and frustrating. Often a disappointing kind of work. And if you want to know who has been doing that work consistently for the last 25 years or more, look to Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former vice president (1999-2007).
This may not be about endorsing a candidate. It is about recognizing a poignant pattern. In a political culture where many reach for power by any means, Atiku has repeatedly chosen the harder path: institutional probity and accountability via the rule of law.
The patriotic statesman, Atiku, often choose judicial process over pandemonium, courts over chaos.
Four times, 2007, 2015, 2019, 2023, elections did not go his way. Each time, the expectation was: mobilize supporters and take to the streets. That is how democracy dies in Africa! But, Atiku chose peace over anarchy.
Atiku, the democrat, think differently and cerebrally. After the 2019 election he said:
“I will not give up on Nigeria. I will go to court and let the people see the evidence.”
And he lived the pledge. In 2023, after another contest, his message was the same:
“The right thing to do is to go to court and allow the judiciary to do its job.”
Every time a major politician submits to the judiciary, the judiciary gets stronger. Every time we say “let the court decide,” we teach citizens that ballots and laws, not thugs, are how power changes hands. That is defending democracy.
This Presidential flag-bearer of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku has always pushed for power sharing to ensure unity in diversity in plural Nigeria.
A centralised democracy is a fragile democracy. When the centre controls everything, elections become wars. It needs not be.
For years, Atiku has argued for restructuring. His position has been consistent:
“We cannot have a democracy where 200 million people must capture one office in Abuja to survive. Power must be devolved.”
You can agree or disagree with the details. But the principle is democratic.
The Waziri of Adamawa is arguing to make democracy less dangerous and more productive by bringing government closer to the people.
The former vice president had also defended the opposition’s space in the country’s political arena.
After all, democracy needs an opposition that can breathe. As VP from 1999–2007 and later as opposition leader, Atiku defended the right of journalists, activists, and rival parties to speak.
Even in defeat, his campaign’s tone was: contest ideas, not people. That discipline is rare. It is also what keeps the democratic space open for healthy competition for generations unborn.
Truly, longevity matters in politics.
Nigeria has had many “democrats” who disappeared when they lost power. Atiku has been present in every democratic cycle since 1999. He remembers 1999. He remembers why we chose this system. He remembers what happens when the military is invited back. That memory is a brake on democratic backsliding.
Conclusively, Nigeria does not need perfect democrats. We need democrats who show up when it is inconvenient. Who file papers instead of threats. Who respect rules even when the rules hurt them.
On that score, Atiku Abubakar’s record is clear. He has tested our laws so our laws can grow. He has argued for sharing power so power does not destroy us.
You may vote for him or against him. But you cannot credibly say he has not defended Nigerian democracy.
He has. With ballots, with briefs, and with 25 years of choosing process over shortcuts. His milestones judicial victories have added value to the body of law and politics in the country.
That is the defense of democracy. And Nigeria needs more of Atiku, the detribalised democrat, entrepreneurial industrialist, education investor, youth mentor and a consumate philanthropist.
Chief Alaba Yusuf, is a public affairs commentator, based in Abuja
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