FORMER Solicitor General of Kaduna State under the defunct Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) during the Second Republic and the National Legal Adviser of the party, Mallam Aliyu Umar, spoke to Northern Bureau Chief, SAXONE AKHAINE, on the 14 years of democracy in Nigeria.

WHAT is your assessment of the nation’s 14 years of democracy? Have your expectations been met?

In response to this question, I can only refer to the Paper I presented in 2004 at a Dialogue organized by the Mandate Newspaper. In it, I made it clear that when General Obasanjo was elected the President of Nigeria in 1999, Nigerians began to entertain the hope that a new start would be made towards rebuilding the country.

I even quoted from page 232 of my book, June 12 & The Cultured North, published in 2000, that the last chance for Nigeria as Nigeria is predicated on whether General Obasanjo could say that he is an agent of genuine economic, social and political change, notwithstanding the wishes of those who stage-managed his election.

At this critical time in the history of Nigeria, the side General Obasanjo will take in this epic struggle will have a decisive impact on whether the dreams of June 12, which promised a strong, stable, united, federal and genuinely democratic Nigeria without poverty and corruption could be realised under his leadership.

In the Paper I referred to above, I made this point, that the side, which General Obasanjo took in this epic struggle under the guise of being in a learning process, was unmistakable. This clearly shows that my expectations have not been met.

Nigerians cannot just be dreaming about democracy; we must work for it and even fight for it.

As I always point out, what Nigeria has now is a rickety civil rule, which is being threatened by those who acquired power and wealth unjustly.