Legal Luminary, Femi Falana, SAN, has stated the measures Nigeria should take to help strengthen democracy and promote stability across West Africa following the recent wave of coups in the region.
‎Speaking on Tuesday, Falana said Nigeria must confront the root causes of instability.
‎According to the Human Rights Lawyer, there is need for civic freedoms to be expanded and condemned the practice of treating dissent as a crime.
‎He added that if Nigeria must have political stability, those in power must address the crisis of the economy, poverty, tackle illiteracy, and curb insecurity of lives and property.
‎Falana also said leaders must show that the political space will not shrink as it is currently, calling for freedom of expression.
‎He charged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to widen democratic participation, emphasising that many citizens are unhappy with current policies, and that democratic leaders in Africa often suppress the opposition.
‎He contended that some leaders misuse state power to weaken pluralism and secure political advantage, and warned Nigeria to avoid this pattern.
‎Falana opined that credible elections require a competitive opposition, adding that the ruling parties in Africa often render opposition groups impotent through direct or indirect restrictions.
