In advance of the 2023 general elections, political economist Prof. Pat Utomi lamented the deterioration of democratic values and growing intolerance among politicians on Friday.
Utomi, who spoke at a news conference in Lagos, bemoaned the fact that opposition parties were not permitted to have political rallies in public spaces and that their billboards had been demolished.
He continued by saying that even landlords had turned away tenants from the opposition.
In the days preceding up to the polls, Utomi, the convener of The BIG-TENT Coalition of Political Parties, Social Movements, and Civil Society Organizations backing Obi-presidential Datti’s campaign, cautioned lawmakers against inflaming the public with provocative remarks.
He said: “The experience of many who understand the essence of democracy and who are participating in current elections suggests a significant level of a collapse of civility, growing fascism and polarisation of the country by politicians unwilling or unable to focus on the issue.
“Since our return to democracy, a consortium of scholars and pollsters from us and across Africa has been polling and surveying attitudes regarding democracy and elections in Africa. They have offered us longitudinal data on the disposition of society to political life.
“Sadly, the data has shown continuously declining confidence in the democratic order in Nigeria.
“This trend may only possibly be reversed by the new excitement of the Obidient movement which has caused nearly 13 million new voters to register to vote in 2023 in Nigeria.
“My experience with campaign of 2023, though marked by the sense of hope from excitement about the organic push of the Obi/Datti movement, is, there has been a drastic decline in civility on the part of many politicians and a crystallisation of cleavage to paint that Nigeria can be getting pushed into a class war that could destabilise our sub-region and push us into anarchy.
“It is imperative we move to reduce incivility in our democracy.
“Our democracy has been on a downward slide for some time now. It is important when we see frightening threats that we speak up. I have seen a frightening threat of intolerance.”
