A former secretary general of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Ayo Opadokun, has said democracy in Nigeria was damaged by military dictators and not politicians.

He stated that the former thwarted civil rule through destructive military force and political coercion.
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‎Mr Opadokun said this on Thursday at the public presentation of his book titled, “The Gun Hegemony.”

He also noted that the situation in Nigeria would have been different if the country was not governed by military despots.
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‎Mr Opadokun said, “The military killed democracy in this country, not civilians.
‎From the first coup detat on January 15, 1966, six years after independence, until recently, about three years ago, Nigeria has been under military rule, directly or indirectly.”
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‎He reiterated that the military in Nigeria set a precedent to the death of true democracy through its use of guns or arms in oppressing citizens and suppressing freedom of speech.
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‎The convener of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER) also criticised what he termed the dictatorial approach of the military in sabotaging the rule of law and stifling justice through the use of military power and weapons during the pre-democracy era.

He added that the era was marked by power hijack by the late military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha, following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election by another maximum ruler, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd).

The poll regarded as the freest and fairest election in the political history of the country was won by the late Chief M.K.O Abiola.
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‎Mr Opadokun said, “The destructive dominance of military force and coercion in politics, eroded democracy, justice, and stability, and that true peace requires rule of law, inclusion, and accountable governance, not just military force.”
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‎He described the country’s democracy as “one written by the guns,” and called for patience from Nigerians in allowing the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu undo the many years of damage done to the country’s democracy by the military.
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He added, ‎”If we look at the trend, even after the military, you will see that Nigeria was still being ruled by former military men.
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‎”A good number of years have been spent under military rule, directly or indirectly, so you should not expect someone to come in just three years and fix it.”
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‎Also speaking at the event, President Bola Tinubu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, lauded Mr Opadokun for his contributions to the country’s political terrain.
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‎Mr Tinubu stated, “I’m delighted to be here to honour a man who’s highly esteemed through the many decades of immense contributions to the attainment of a democratic Nigeria and the sustenance of that democracy.
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‎”Ayo Opadokun has taken his time to examine our political history, mistakes and how we can do better through this book.”
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‎In his speech, Lagos State Governor, Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, praised Mr Opadokun for his dedication and meritorious contribution to the country’s politics.
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‎In his speech, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, praised Mr Opadokun for his dedication and meritorious contribution to the country’s politics.
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‎Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, also showered encomiums on the CODER convener, noting that despite several political unrest experienced by the country, it remained united.
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Mr Anyaoku said, ‎”If you look at countries that have plural ethnicity and culture like Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, who broke out of the Soviet Union, you will see that Nigeria has managed to stay together despite our differences. We continue to look forward to a better Nigeria.”
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‎Other notable personalities at the event were former governors of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba and Senator Gbenga Daniel including ex-governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo.
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