Elections in Nigeria are a mockery to democracy – Tinubu

National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has stated that since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, most of the elections in the country have been full of irregularities and frauds. Tinubu said the development was a mockery of democracy. The former Lagos State governor gave this disclosure during the inaugural lecture of the Freedom House Democracy Lecture series in Lagos on Monday. Speaking on the recently concluded governorship election in Ekiti State, where Ayo Fayose of the PDP was declared winner, Tinubu said stopping key APC members from travelling into Ekiti state prior to th election was undemocratic. According to him, “Instead of being the periodic celebration of democracy, elections in Nigeria have generally mocked the very notion of democracy they are supposed to uphold. Worst has been what comes after elections. “Since the winner often is not chosen by the people but by some subterranean process, he continues to dishonour the people while resorting to that subterranean process in how he rules. Generally, these office holders believe they have the inborn right to rule instead of been given a duty to govern. “For the most part, elections have become a perverse form of modern coronation. Instead of choosing public servants, elections in Nigeria have been basically to select a new aristocracy, an elected royalty.” Also speaking at the event, Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, called on Nigerians to mobilise for street protest as a way to stop stealing by public funds, adding that pelting of guilty public leaders could also deter them from diverting government funds for their private use. He said, “The only way to stop us from stealing is to stone us. The followers are equally guilty as the leadership. The institutions are already compromised and there is no alternative to them. Nigerians seem not be against corruption but they are against how long you stay being corrupt. Don’t expect those in public office to fight corruption.”