Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, has accused Nigeria’s political elite of systematically destroying the nation’s democracy and institutions.
Dickson made the accusation in a speech at a one-day workshop organized by the Nigeria Civil Society’s Alliance for Democratic Change (NCSADC) in Abuja.
Dickson, who served as a two-term governor of Bayelsa State warned his fellow politicians of “unknowingly committing class suicide.”
According to him, their actions have not only weakened the nation’s democratic institutions but has also pushed the country further into crisis.
“The Nigerian political class has killed this country, and you guys [civil society] should not let it happen. “They are killing Nigeria; they are making this country look small.”
The Bayelsa born lamented the widespread practice of politicians moving from one party to another.
He said that politicians have formed the habit of manipulating institutions such as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to rig elections and silence opposition.
He expressed frustration with the subversion of institutions like the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, accusing politicians of manipulating them to rig elections and silence opposition.
“Our own democracy is the wishes and caprices of the president or a governor. They don’t even care how the world looks at Nigeria,”
Dickson slammed the judiciary, describing it as “helpless” and often reduced to reading “body language.”
He stated that court rulings have become predictable tools in the hands of those who control power.
Dickson further accused the ruling political elite of abusing federal institutions for electoral gain, using security operatives, soldiers, and the police to intimidate, harass, or even kill civilians during elections.
“They want to control INEC, they want results written for them. They use DSS, police, and the army, not to protect the people but to kill and suppress them during elections. That is the hallmark of a failed country.”
The lawmaker highlighted the growing disconnect between elected officials and the people.
He said many Nigerian politicians no longer relate to their constituents, nor do they feel accountable to them.
“They don’t even take calls from their people. Their homes are too big, too beautiful. Their people can’t even access them,” he lamented. “They know they don’t need the people to win elections. The system allows them to impose themselves.”
He charged civil society groups with the responsibility of holding the political class accountable, urging them to rise and defend democracy from total collapse.
“If a political class does not believe in free and fair elections, in the rule of law, in an impartial judiciary, then they are not just destroying the country, they are destroying themselves. That’s class suicide.”
