Kukah:  Nigeria’s Democracy Remains Vulnerable Due to Weak Institutions, Others 

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti 

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has warned that Nigeria’s democratic experiment remains vulnerable due to weak institutional culture, fragile civic values, and contradictions that continue to undermine sustainable governance.

Kukah lamented that despite regular elections, civic protests, judicial interventions, and citizen engagement, meaningful political change often remains elusive, allowing governance systems to persist without accountability or structural reform.

The cleric made these observations while delivering the 10th Convocation Lecture of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), where he was also honoured with an honorary doctorate.

According to him, democracy remains the most viable system for national stability and collective progress, not because it is flawless, but because all alternatives pose far greater dangers to human freedom and societal cohesion.

“Across societies, people protest, go to court, endure repression, and even pay with their lives in the struggle for justice, yet governance often continues as if nothing has happened,” Kukah said. “In some cases, large percentages of votes are not transparently accounted for, yet normalcy returns. This is not unique to Nigeria but common across Africa and other parts of the world,” he stated.

Quoting former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Kukah noted that democracy is often described as the worst form of government—except for all others that have been tried—adding that it remains an equal-opportunity system capable of enabling national development when properly nurtured.

He warned, however, that while Nigeria operates under democratic structures, the values, attitudes, and institutional discipline required to make democracy functional have yet to fully mature.

“Democracy has arrived, but our attitudes have not changed. Politicians continue to promise a better future that rarely materialises, while citizens remain trapped in cycles of hope without progress. Until we internalise the principles that sustain democracy, its promises will remain fragile,” he stated.

Also speaking at the ceremony, President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, congratulated FUOYE on its growth, describing the institution as one of Nigeria’s fastest-rising universities and a product of focused leadership in the education sector.

The President urged graduating students to deploy the knowledge and skills acquired during their studies in advancing national development, stressing that higher education remains a key driver of economic transformation and social mobility.

On national security, Ribadu assured Nigerians that the federal government is strengthening collaboration with international partners to tackle banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism, adding that sustained efforts are already yielding positive results.

In his remarks, the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, expressed appreciation to the university community for its support over the past five years, describing the period as one marked by growth, resilience, and institutional progress.

He encouraged the graduating students to see their academic success as a foundation for greater achievements, urging them to embrace innovation, competitiveness, and excellence in an increasingly demanding labour market.

A major highlight of the convocation was the graduation of 7,684 students, comprising 7,396 undergraduates and 288 postgraduate students, with 131 students graduating with First Class honours across various faculties.