Diri criticizes Nigeria democracy at Bauchi dialogue

At the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue held in Bauchi, Nigeria — Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri delivered a goodwill message criticizing Nigeria's democracy. He argued that the absence of justice, equity, and fairness, along with a lack of fiscal federalism and rule of law, has undermined democracy. Citing Bayelsa as an example, he highlighted the injustice in natural resource exploitation, particularly crude oil, and the unequal distribution of national revenue. He noted that oil-producing communities like Nigeria — Oloibiri and Nigeria — Southern Ijaw remain underdeveloped despite decades of oil revenue generation. Diri also linked resource exploitation to insecurity, pointing to gold mining in Nigeria — Zamfara State. He called for true federalism to address these structural imbalances. The event was chaired by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and attended by Goodluck Jonathan, Namadi Sambo, Bala Mohammed, Anyim Pius Anyim, Peter Obi, and others.