Democracy Has Failed Us All – I Can Explain

Democracy has failed. The only challenge is that there is no viable alternative to democracy as a system of government. Like every other system or structure, it has its limitations.

Over time, some players come to understand the system and find ways to beat it. Globally, many politicians understand the “democracy hack” or cheat code. Once they apply it, the system begins to work in their favour.

According to a 2024 global survey by the Pew Research Centre, a median of 59% of people across 24 countries are dissatisfied with the way democracy is working in their country, with dissatisfaction particularly high in countries such as Nigeria and South Africa.

Even in wealthy Western democracies, public confidence in democratic governance is declining, with only about 35% of citizens reporting satisfaction with how democracy works in their country.

Take Africa, for example. In many places, the existence of democracy is a farce. To win elections, political actors influence the electoral structure through rigging or by initiating violence to achieve their desired results. This is not far removed from the fact that institutions in many African countries are generally weak and easy to manipulate. Poverty is widespread, and almost everyone has a price. If one official says “no,” simply raise the price or apply pressure, and you will eventually get a “yes.”

In the West, the reality is similar but slightly different. Since institutions are stronger and somewhat more integrity-driven than in many developing countries, politicians often use different tactics to beat the system. This time, they resort to fake news, campaigns of calumny against opponents, and the manipulation of fear among certain groups of people. This approach mirrors the strategy often associated with Donald Trump.

All you need is a scapegoat. Find a group of people and blame them for society’s problems. Spread fear and anxiety. Once people feel insecure, present yourself as the solution. Blame immigrants for a poor economy, rising crime, failing infrastructure, struggling education systems, and poor healthcare. Raise alarms about alleged plots of “colonisation” or “Islamisation.” Conjure statistics and apply them misleadingly, and soon the votes will begin to roll in.

Once in office, tell your supporters that powerful figures are working against you because you are protecting the interests of ordinary people. In this way, loyalty is maintained, and political power is preserved.

Across Europe and America, one of the cheapest and most effective ways to gain publicity is to speak against immigrants and threaten to remove them. Politicians like Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe of Reform UK often place immigration at the centre of their political messaging. For them, it has become a political foundation that never stops generating attention.

Rupert Lowe’s popularity has grown astronomically in the last couple of months. His name is spreading rapidly across political discussions.

Research by Ipsos found that fake news, political corruption, and lack of accountability among politicians are widely viewed as the biggest threats to democracy in Europe and the United States.

In my home country, Nigeria, democracy often feels more like a pestilence than a promise. Millions of dollars have been spent on automated electoral technologies and machines, yet election outcomes remain largely the same. In specific terms, Nigeria spent between ₦305 billion and ₦355 billion to conduct the 2023 elections, including over ₦105 billion on Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) biometric voting machines and about ₦117 billion on election technology. Despite the high cost, the elections have been marred by a credibility problem.

Electoral reforms have been implemented, but meaningful change remains elusive. Election results are frequently riddled with anomalies, and disputes are routinely decided in court.

It is worth noting that a 2023 survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found that the judiciary received the highest proportion of bribes that year. At the same time, the government reportedly built 40 luxury duplexes for top judges in Abuja, located in the Federal Capital Territory, ahead of the 2027 presidential elections. Many citizens perceive this move as an attempt to curry favour with the judiciary, particularly because election outcomes are frequently challenged in court.

How can Nigeria enjoy the dividends of democracy when democratic institutions are weak, corrupt, lack checks & balances and can't guarantee transparency and accountability? It should be noted that an academic research by Dr Mahmood Khosrowjerdi (University of Tehran) in 2022, analysing governance across 117 countries, has shown that strong democratic institutions are closely linked to transparency and accountability in government systems.

The implication is troubling. When both the electoral and judicial systems are perceived as compromised, public trust erodes rapidly. This helps explain why Nigeria increasingly appears to be struggling. The economy remains fragile, corruption is widespread, insecurity continues to rise, and many citizens feel that the future offers little promise.

For many young Nigerians, the ultimate dream is to leave the country and build a life abroad. The national outlook feels bleak. Poor leadership remains a central problem. Democracy, in practice, seems to have been manipulated to produce poor leadership while recycling the same political elites. The system has become so distorted that it often filters out individuals with integrity while rewarding those who can navigate its corrupt mechanics.

Perhaps the main reason democracy continues to be practised across the world is simple: there is no widely accepted alternative system capable of replacing it.
Will there ever be one?

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Osahon Osayimwen writes from England.

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