Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has voiced deep concern over what he describes as the alarming decline of democratic values around the world.
In a statement shared on social media, Sani warned that the line between democracy and dictatorship is becoming increasingly blurred, as nations once seen as beacons of freedom begin to adopt authoritarian tendencies.
He lamented that actions such as intimidation of citizens, censorship of free expression, disregard for judicial rulings, and persecution of political opponents are now being normalized even in some of the world’s most established democracies.
“Everything happening in dictatorships is now gradually happening in the most advanced democracies—threatening people and sacking them from their jobs for expressing opinions online, punishing universities for allowing protests, disobeying court orders, witch-hunting political opponents, contemplating tenure extensions, deploying troops without due process, and intimidating the media and legislature. Freedom is now in reverse gear. Maybe the world is tired of democracy,” he wrote.
Sani, a long-time advocate for human rights and good governance, warned that democracy is slowly being replaced by authoritarian practices masked as measures for stability and national security.
His remarks echo growing concerns worldwide about shrinking civic spaces, the erosion of freedoms, and the steady retreat of democratic principles once thought to be firmly entrenched.
