Politics
SELECTIVE BENCHMARKING AND THE BURDEN OF DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA
SELECTIVE BENCHMARKING AND THE BURDEN OF DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA.
Written by George Omagbemi Sylvester
“Why Our Collective Guilt, Loud Arguments, and Even Biases Are Not the Problem; but the Path to National Renewal.”
Nigeria is a country permanently trapped in argument. From insecurity to economic hardship, from electoral controversies to judicial contradictions, every major national event immediately fractures public opinion. Social media explodes, dinner tables become parliaments, and WhatsApp groups transform into ideological battlegrounds. To the casual observer, this constant disagreement may appear unhealthy, divisive, and unproductive. But beneath the noise lies an uncomfortable truth Nigerians rarely admit: WE ARE ALL GUILTY BUT YET OUR GUILT IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST PILLARS OF DEMOCRACY.
This phenomenon can best be described as selective benchmarking though the habit of judging national events through selective moral, political and emotional lenses depending on our political alignment, expectations, or disappointments. When something goes wrong in Nigeria, citizens almost always fall into three broad groups.
The first group blames the government outright. They see every failure as evidence of incompetence, corruption, or deliberate sabotage of the national interest. They highlight institutional collapse, leadership failure, and broken promises. This group is often dismissed as pessimistic, noisy, or anti-government. Yet paradoxically, this is the group that gives democracy its teeth. Without relentless criticism, governments drift easily into complacency or authoritarian comfort.
The second group defends the government. They argue that leadership is difficult, that inherited problems are complex and that institutions require time to mature. They emphasize effort over outcome, intention over impact. This group is equally demonized and often labeled as enablers or apologists. But they too are indispensable to democracy. As political philosopher Edmund Burke warned, “To make us love our country, our country ought to be lovely.” Defenders, rightly or wrongly, try to preserve belief in the state, preventing total collapse of public trust.
The third group is the smallest and most intellectually seductive. These are the analysts, the balanced voices, the “let us look at it from all sides” commentators. They interrogate context, history, data, and comparative global standards. They resist emotional outrage and partisan loyalty. On paper, they are the most reasonable. In practice, however, they often contribute less to democratic energy. Their neutrality, while intellectually admirable, rarely mobilizes citizens or pressures power. As political scientist Samuel Huntington noted, democracy is not sustained by consensus alone but by “INSTITUTIONALIZED CONFLICT.”
This is the uncomfortable irony of Nigeria’s democratic struggle: the so-called ‘bad groups’ are often more useful to democracy than the ‘good’ neutral observers.
DEMOCRACY IS NOT POLITENESS, IT IS CONTESTATION. One of the greatest misconceptions Nigerians hold is that democracy is about unity of opinion. It is not. Democracy thrives on disagreement, protest, opposition, and constant benchmarking of power against public expectations. According to Robert Dahl, one of the world’s foremost democratic theorists, democracy requires “continuous responsiveness of the government to the preferences of its citizens.” That responsiveness is not activated by silence or neutrality but by pressure.
Nigeria’s problem, therefore, is not that citizens argue. The problem is how we argue.
Too often, selective benchmarking degenerates into tribalism, religious bias, and blind party loyalty. Government critics sometimes exaggerate failures, ignore progress, or frame every issue as ethnic conspiracy. Government defenders sometimes excuse the inexcusable, rationalize incompetence, or attack citizens instead of addressing facts. When benchmarking becomes tribal, democracy weakens. When it becomes evidence-based and goal-oriented, democracy matures.
As economist Amartya Sen argued, “Public reasoning is the backbone of democracy.” Public reasoning dies when facts are ignored and emotions weaponized.
WE ARE ALL GUILTY, AND THAT IS THE POINT. The honest confession Nigerians must make is simple: none of us is completely neutral. We all belong (consciously or unconsciously) to one of the first two groups. We criticize when our expectations are betrayed; we defend when our hopes are invested. Pretending otherwise is intellectual dishonesty.
This collective guilt is not a moral failure. It is a democratic reality. In advanced democracies, citizens align with ideologies, parties, or policy preferences and argue fiercely. What separates functional democracies from failing ones is not the absence of bias but the presence of strong institutions, verifiable data and civic discipline.
Nigeria’s institutions remain fragile, which means public debate carries even more responsibility. When institutions are weak, citizens become the loudest checks on power. That is why silencing dissent, labeling critics as enemies, or banning platforms of expression is fundamentally anti-democratic.
As John Stuart Mill famously warned, “He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that.” Nigeria must learn to argue fiercely without dehumanizing one another.
SELECTIVE BENCHMARKING VS NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. Benchmarking itself is not evil. Selective benchmarking becomes dangerous only when it abandons national development as its ultimate goal. The moment insecurity, inflation, corruption, or unemployment becomes an opportunity to score party points rather than solve problems, democracy becomes performative.
Countries that developed did so amid intense internal criticism. South Africa’s post-apartheid democracy, India’s noisy parliamentary culture and even the United States polarized system all prove one thing: development does not require silence; it requires structured disagreement.
Nigeria needs critics who demand accountability and defenders who insist on stability, but both must be anchored on facts, not sentiments. As governance expert Francis Fukuyama emphasized, “Political order depends not just on state power but on legitimacy.” Legitimacy is earned through results, transparency and honest engagement with criticism.
A MESSAGE ACROSS PARTY LINES. This reflection cuts across all political parties whether ADC, LP, PDP, APC, and others. Democracy does not belong to one party or ideology. It belongs to citizens who argue, vote, protest, defend, critique and demand better.
You are not a bad citizen because you criticize government.
You are not a traitor because you defend government efforts.
You are not superior because you claim neutrality.
What matters is intent and method.
Avoid tribalism.
Avoid religious manipulation.
Avoid over-politicising national pain.
Let national development be the benchmark and not party survival.
TOWARDS A MORE INTELLIGENT DEMOCRATIC CULTURE. Nigeria’s future depends on transforming selective benchmarking into selective responsibility. Criticize with facts. Defend with evidence. Analyze with relevance. Democracy is not about being right; it is about being accountable to the collective good.
As Nelson Mandela once said, “A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy.” The same applies to citizens.
So yes, we are all guilty. Guilty of bias. Guilty of passion. Guilty of selective outrage. Though, if properly channeled, this guilt can become Nigeria’s democratic strength rather than its curse.
Happy New Year to all Nigerians; across SDP, NNPP, ADC, LP, PDP, APC and beyond. May our arguments build institutions, not burn bridges.
Politics
I Am Not A Coward, I Will Not Join APC: Bala Mohammed’s Defiant Stand Against Political Persecution and the Weaponisation of State Power in Nigeria
I Am Not A Coward, I Will Not Join APC: Bala Mohammed’s Defiant Stand Against Political Persecution and the Weaponisation of State Power in Nigeria.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by saharaweeklyng.com
“Governor Bala Mohammed Rejects Coercion, Affirms Loyalty to PDP and Exposes Dangerous Trends Undermining Democratic Pluralism in Nigeria.”
In a political environment increasingly defined by coercion, defections and the alarming weaponisation of state institutions, Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State has issued a defiant and historic statement that resonates far beyond his state borders: “ _I’m not a coward. I will not join them. I refuse to join their party_.” This declaration, made on January 2, 2026, is not just a personal pledge of political fidelity, but it is a clarion call for democratic integrity and resistance to authoritarian drift in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Bala Mohammed, a seasoned politician with decades of public service as a senator, former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister and three-term Governor of Bauchi State committed under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), spoke with unwavering confidence as he received an award as Safety Ambassador from the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria. His remarks came against the backdrop of allegations that federal agencies, most notably the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have launched investigations and court actions he alleges are politically motivated and designed to intimidate him into abandoning his party.
An Unapologetic Stand Against Political Intimidation. Governor Mohammed’s posture is rooted in both principle and history. Having navigated multiple national positions (most notably as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory from 2010 to 2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan) Bala Mohammed is no stranger to the ebb and flow of Nigerian politics. Despite this experience, what he faces today is a distinct and troubling pattern: opposition leaders being singled out by powerful federal agencies in ways that blur the lines between legitimate law enforcement and political vendetta.
In his address in Bauchi, he pointed out that even with constitutional immunity as a sitting governor, his name (and that of his commissioner) was referenced in court matters with serious charges including terrorism financing, conspiracy and money laundering. He described these actions as part of an effort to criminalise him and coerce him into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
This, he warned, is beyond mere political rivalry. It represents the weaponisation of state institutions, transforming bodies designed to uphold justice into instruments of political suppression. “The APC-led federal government thinks they can use the courts and institutions of government to persecute Nigerians who are not within their own party,” he said.
Why This Matters: Democratic Principles at Stake. At the heart of Governor Mohammed’s stance is a fundamental democratic principle: a politician should not be forced to change party allegiance under duress. In a healthy democracy, political competition should be decided in the marketplace of ideas and votes not through judicial pressure or law enforcement harassment.
Political scholar Robert Dahl once observed that “Democracy requires not only free and fair elections but also the freedom for opposition to campaign without fear of reprisal.” If this principle erodes, the very essence of pluralism is jeopardised. Bala Mohammed’s words underscore the urgency of this truth in Nigeria’s context.
Moreover, political analyst Professor Claude Ake of Nigerian political thought emphasised that “Democracy is not merely electoral competition; it is about the rules (and respect for those rules) that allow such competition.” When state institutions appear to serve one party’s ends, the legitimacy of Nigeria’s democratic order is tested. Bala Mohammed’s charge challenges Nigerians to ask whether their political institutions serve citizens equally or whether they have become tools for partisan advantage.
Allegations of Federal Abdication of Responsibility. Governor Mohammed did not limit himself to critiquing political pressure tactics. He also lambasted what he described as a failure of the federal government to deliver tangible development to Bauchi State, despite commanding a significant share of national resources. “In my state, they have not provided one kilometre of road. They have not provided water. Even security agencies (I am the one paying them to work for us) and they have the guts to talk,” he lamented.
This accusation strikes at two core issues plaguing Nigeria’s federal system: resource control imbalances and the insufficient delivery of basic infrastructure and security. Many governors, especially in opposition states, have long argued that federal allocation disparities weaken subnational governments and create dependency that can be exploited politically.
The governor further criticised the current tax regime, warning that policies implemented without adequate consideration of grassroots realities risk deepening poverty rather than alleviating it. This echoes concerns of economists like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who have warned that fiscal policies must be balanced with economic growth and citizens’ welfare to avoid crippling the productive capacities of subnational units.
Resistance, Not Retreat. Perhaps the most compelling dimension of Governor Mohammed’s speech was his rejection of silence in the face of what he describes as political intimidation. He affirmed that peace and security do not require submission to coercion. “IF THEY WANT WAR, WE WILL GIVE THEM WAR. IF THEY WANT PEACE, WE WILL GIVE THEM PEACE,” he declared an underscoring and a commitment to resist victimisation while upholding order.
This posture (resolute yet rooted in democratic engagement) is reminiscent of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to “stand up for justice, even if it means standing alone.” Bala Mohammed’s insistence on accountability, transparency and continued cooperation with the federal government for national development separates principled opposition from antagonistic defiance.
The Broader Political Context. Governor Mohammed’s remarks arrive amid a broader wave of political defection in Nigeria. In 2025, several governors and political figures left the PDP for the APC, driven by various motives and some ideological, others pragmatic. Yet Bala Mohammed has firmly resisted such trends. Two months before his recent stand, he reassured party faithful that he was not defecting and remained committed to the PDP’s vision, even as other governors departed.
His position also underscores a larger debate within Nigeria’s opposition ranks: how to rebuild a viable political alternative capable of challenging the APC’s dominance and presenting credible governance propositions for the 2027 general elections. As he declared earlier in 2025, defections would not sink the PDP and the party could reclaim political space with strategic leadership and grassroots engagement.
Final Take: A Defining Moment for Nigerian Democracy. Governor Bala Mohammed’s statement (“I AM NOT A COWARD. I WILL NOT JOIN APC”) is far more than a personal declaration. It is a reaffirmation of democratic choice, political courage and resistance to the misuse of power. In a climate where political coercion can easily be mischaracterised as loyalty shifts, his defiance becomes an emblem of democratic resilience.
For Nigeria to deepen its democratic culture, leaders across the spectrum must respect institutional neutrality and allow political competition to be resolved through public engagement, policy debates, and the will of the electorate, not through intimidation or judicial warfare.
As political theorist Samuel P. Huntington once remarked, “The essence of democracy is competition between alternatives.” Bala Mohammed’s bold stance exemplifies this essence and challenges all Nigerians (politicians and citizens alike) to hold fast to the ideals of free political choice, accountability and constitutional governance.
Yayi Targets Ogun East with Unity Agenda in Feb 2026 Townhall
Senator Solomon Adeola Yayi’s town hall meeting series is heading to Ogun East on February 12, 2026, with the theme “Yayi’s Candidacy: For Equality and Innovation”.
The event, powered by Ogun Visionaries, aims to engage with electorates and discuss critical issues affecting the state. Following the success of the Ogun West meeting, which drew over 1,500 participants, the gathering is expected to draw key political figures and shape Yayi’s 2027 leadership bid.
According to a Press Statement made available to Journalists on Monday by Chairman of the Planning Committe,Hon Monsur Oloyede and signed by
the Director General of Ogun Visionaries, Hon. Leye Odunjo,”feedback from November’s townhall meeting in Ogun West shows that the people of Ogun state are ready for a new leadership led by Sen. Solomon Olamilekan Adeola Yayi in 2027.
“From the turnout to the buzz on social media, it is important to continue with meetings from zone to zone, constituency to constituency, LGA to LGA, and finally ward to ward.
“As usual, discussants will be invited to discuss issues affecting critical sectors, and participants registered from the nooks and crannies of Ogun state. In an event envisaged to be the biggest political event in the first quarter of 2026, it is expected to put a colourful carpet of social acceptance for Sen. Solomon Olamilekan Adeola in Ogun East Senatorial zone of Ogun state.
“These discussions and engagements are the first in a series of activities preceding the official declaration of Sen. Solomon Olamilekan Adeola for the number one seat of Ogun state in 2027”.
Politics
Renewed Hope Ambassadors Network Names Bagudu as Best Performing Minister, NCC EVC as Best Performing Agency Head
Renewed Hope Ambassadors Network Names Bagudu as Best Performing Minister, NCC EVC as Best Performing Agency Head
The Renewed Hope Ambassadors Network has named Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, as the Best Performing Minister of the Year and Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), as the Best Performing Agency Head.
The group said it came to this conclusion after a careful review of key promoters and stakeholders championing Mr. President’s ideological and developmental agenda.
It noted that Minister Bagudu came out tops for his outstanding contributions, loyalty, and strategic leadership in steering Nigeria’s fiscal policy and economic planning throughout 2025.
In a statement signed by Opialu Fabian Opialu, Bagudu was described as a “towering figure” whose tireless efforts have significantly advanced the Renewed Hope vision in economic stabilization and growth.
“Minister Abubakar Atiku Bagudu exemplifies the Renewed Hope vision through his relentless commitment to macroeconomic stability and inclusive development,” Opialu stated.
“His oversight of the ₦54.99 trillion 2025 budget has driven bold reforms, resulting in four consecutive quarters of GDP growth, exchange rate stability, and renewed investor confidence.”
Opialu highlighted Bagudu’s role in revising the National Development Plan and coordinating poverty reduction strategies.
“Bagudu has led effective implementation of the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy across states, balancing fiscal responsibility with strategic investments in health, education, infrastructure, and agriculture,” he added.
He further praised Bagudu’s global engagements and sector synergies. “As Minister, Bagudu has championed partnerships, such as with Germany for the $1 trillion economy goal, and emphasized clean energy investments requiring $410 billion for net-zero by 2060, proving the administration’s commitment to sustainable prosperity,” Opialu said.
The Renewed Hope Ambassadors Network also recognized Dr. Aminu Maida as the Best Performing Agency Head for his contributions to digital innovation and telecommunications advancement.
“Dr. Aminu Maida’s efforts have elevated the NCC to among the top best-performing government agencies in 2025, creating a robust environment essential for economic progress under President Tinubu,” Opialu noted.
“Under Maida’s stewardship, the NCC has advanced data-driven regulation through the Quality of Experience Crowdsourcing Project and committed to broadband expansion and transparency,” he said.
Opialu concluded, “Both Bagudu and Maida are not just supporters; they are principled architects of the Renewed Hope agenda.
“Their actions—from steering economic policies to advancing digital infrastructure—demonstrate rock-solid commitment to President Tinubu’s transformative national project.”
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