Governor Uba Sani admits democracy has failed our expectations

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has come out to say what many of us have been feeling for years — that we have not fully achieved what we expected from democracy. He said this on Friday while speaking with ARISE NEWS on Democracy Day. According to him, when they were in the struggle against military rule, they believed that after 10 years a lot would have been achieved. But here we are, decades later, and the question remains: what exactly have we gotten?

Governor Sani said, "I cannot say that we have really achieved what we were expecting when we were in the struggle. We believed at that time, we thought after 10 years, a lot of things would have been achieved. But I can say a lot of things have to be done." He urged Nigerians to continue believing in democracy and to fight for the entrenchment of democratic ideals. He also warned against comparing military dictatorship with democratic dispensation. But I ask you, when the lights are off and the roads are bad and the schools are failing, what difference does the label make to the common man?

The governor also spoke about the protest involving activist Omoyele Sowore, saying citizens have the right to express themselves but must operate within the law — including obtaining permission from security agencies. He defended his record in Kaduna, pointing to progress in agriculture, security, education, and transportation. And he explained the clemency granted to 97 inmates on Democracy Day, saying it was about giving people a second chance. But the larger question remains: if a governor can admit that democracy has not delivered, what then is the way forward for a country that has tried everything except true accountability?