By Teddy Nwanunobi
Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed happiness about the 2026 Democracy Day, saying that it is not easy for a country to mark nearly three decades of uninterrupted democracy.
Daily NewsCraft reports that Friday, June 12, 2026 marks the 27th year since the country returned to democracy in 1999.
A cross-section of residents who spoke to Daily NewsCraft ahead of June 12 said that there have been significant developments in the country, despite some challenges.
“Sustaining the democratic system of government since 1999 remains Nigeria’s most significant achievement, and it is worthy of celebration,” Mrs Joy Jirgba, a civil servant, said.
”The democratic system has strengthened our rights to participate in governance, and to express our opinions freely. It was not the case under the military rule,” a secondary school teacher, Mr Kingsley Emejulu, said.
”In a democracy, the citizens have the right to express their opinions and hold leaders accountable for what they do. This has helped to bring positive change to our society,” Engr Henry Echo said.
”The electoral process has improved significantly through the introduction of the BVAS, and has increased the voter consciousness among Nigerians,” a public analyst, Judith-Mary Johnson, said.
”This is a beautiful thing, but many of us do not know it. I want to use this opportunity to urge all the stakeholders to continue to do more to enhance the electoral processes, to further entrenching good governance for the betterment of the country,” Haruna Idris urged.
”You heard him (Haruna Idris). I also want to call on governments at all levels to focus more attention on improving the citizens’ welfare, fighting insecurity, and creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive,” Habiba Nasir added.
”I’m happy for Nigerians. Twenty-seven years of uninterrupted democracy is not a joke, especially in an African country where coups take place here and there. Take a good look at your country. You’ll agree with me that Nigeria has transitioned from dictatorship to democracy.
”There’s only one thing that’s left for your country. It should now shift towards good governance, and it’s the responsibility of the citizens to demand for it, and make it happen.
”It will be through good governance that Nigeria will be able to address some of its challenges, such as poverty, unemployment and insecurity, which are bedevilling its development,” a Ghanaian, Mr John Kofi, said.
”Seriously, insecurity, unemployment, and poor infrastructure have remained our major concerns as Nigerians. Only God knows when we’ll be able to get over them,” a third year student, Amina Usman, said.
”It’s true that democracy has strengthened our rights to participate in governance. However, Nigerians should continue to cultivate the habit of patriotism.
”If you look around you, you will notice that some small-scale businesses are still struggling to survive. This is due to inflation and high production costs, among other factors.
”I want to use this opportunity to urge the government to improve infrastructure and ensure policy consistency to support small and medium-scale enterprises,” Mrs Celine Ekpo, a small-scale business operator, said.
Some other residents demanded non-partisan accountability in the fight against corruption to ensure that public resources are effectively utilised for the benefit of all citizens.
They concluded that while Nigeria’s democracy has outlasted previous attempts, the next phase must translate electoral success into visible improvements in citizens’ livelihoods.