Activist and social commentator Mahdi Shehu has said that democracy in Nigeria has brought more pain than relief to many citizens, stating that from 1999 to date, democracy only means “nothing but a killer pill, a source of pain and death.”
He accused politicians of greed, deception, and deep insensitivity to human suffering.
In a post shared on X on Sunday, Shehu said many Nigerian politicians have failed the people they were elected to serve, adding that they have broken every aspect of the social contract with citizens.
According to him, while a few politicians may mean well despite making mistakes, the majority are wicked, selfish, greedy and treacherous, and act without conscience.
“They cause pain, trauma and melancholy to millions daily. They breach every aspect of the social contract with the electorates and other citizens.
Shehu accused politicians of draining the country through open theft, misappropriation, wasteful spending and extortion, while ordinary Nigerians struggle with hunger, starvation and untreated diseases.
“They display open and extravagant life styles on the face of increasing hunger, starvation and malnutrition, avoidable but left untreated diseases. They watch their constituents die from hypertension, Diabetes and imposed mental health diseases.
“Their myopically conceived and implemented economic policies have destroyed millions of small and medium businesses. Sent millions out of their means of livelihood, pushed millions into unemployment circles, destroyed families , communities and societies,” he said
He said many politicians pretend to be righteous leaders but are inwardly cruel, noting that they portray the face of Moses but conceal the heart of Pharaoh.
Shehu added that for many Nigerians, democracy since 1999 has become a killer pill.
“Indeed for many Nigerians, Democracy from 1999 to date means nothing but a killer Pill, a source of pain and death, a road and root to poverty. Indeed democracy in Nigeria has been the best example of man’s inhumanity to man, day without night, winter that is not cold, summer that is not warm, rainy season without rainfall,” he said.
