By Steve Monu Idowu
Nigeria is 26 years into its Fourth Republic. That is long enough to stop calling the system “new” and start asking hard questions about what it has actually become.
Because at this point, the real question is not whether Nigeria has democracy on paper.
The question is whether what we practice is still democracy in reality.
Or something else entirely.
Democracy on Paper, Something Else in Practice
Yes, elections happen. Governments change. Political parties compete. Citizens vote.
But beyond the surface, many Nigerians recognize a familiar pattern: politics often feels like a contest between powerful groups, not necessarily a reflection of citizens’ real choices.
And public office—rather than being purely about service—often appears tied to access, influence, and networks.
This raises a deeper concern: maybe elections are happening inside a system whose real structure is not fully democratic.
Enter “Myowncracy”
To describe this reality, we can use a term: Myowncracy.
It is a system where political power, once gained, becomes something closer to personal and network ownership.
In Myowncracy:
The state is viewed through “my own people”
Public resources move through loyalty networks
Political office becomes a pathway to security and survival
Governance is shaped as much by relationships as by rules
It is not about whether elections exist.
It is about what power becomes after elections.
The Real Shift Nobody Talks About
Democracy is supposed to make power accountable to the people.
But when informal networks, political godfathers, and loyalty systems begin to shape who gets what, when, and how, something changes quietly.
The system still looks democratic.
But it starts to behave differently.
The Real Question
So after 26 years, the question is simple:
If access to opportunity and protection depends more on who you know than what your rights are as a citizen, what exactly is the system?
And more importantly:
Who does it serve?
Conclusion
Nigeria has maintained democratic continuity since 1999.
But continuity is not the same as transformation.
Until governance consistently serves the public beyond elite and “my own” networks, the debate will continue:
Are we practicing democracy?
Or are we living inside something closer to Myowncracy?
— Steve Monu Idowu is a political commentator&historian w. He writes from Abuja and can be reached through [email protected].