June 12: Our Democracy Has Failed Ordinary Nigerians, Says Ex-Lawmaker, Peller

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja 

A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Shina Peller, has said that the country’s democracy has failed the common man.

Peller in a statement issued yesterday warned that the nation is currently “building a house of cards” by ignoring the deep economic and physical insecurity plaguing its citizens.

The former lawmaker highlighted the widening gap between the ruling elite and the governed, arguing that the true essence of June 12—originally borne out of a fierce, bloody struggle for justice and the popular will—was being undermined by pervasive poverty and systemic hardship.

He noted, “Let us be brutally honest with ourselves: We are practicing a democracy, but we are yet to deliver its dividends to the ordinary Nigerian.”

Peller urged officeholders to view governance as a sacred public trust rather than a personal trophy, adding that leaders cannot afford to rule with detachment or arrogance while the cries of hunger and the anxiety of the average citizen grow louder by the day.

He, however, maintained that Nigeria’s potential remained unmatched, heavily pinning the nation’s ultimate recovery on its vibrant and creative youth. 

To steer the country away from collapse, he outlined an urgent three-pronged path forward, calling for uncompromising institutional accountability, deliberate economic inclusivity that guarantees basic human dignity, and a national unity rooted firmly in justice.