By Seyi Odewale
Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has blamed persistent injustice, inequity and weak federalism for the difficulties confronting Nigeria’s democratic development, calling for structural reforms to make governance more responsive to citizens.
Diri spoke on Tuesday at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue held at the International Conference Centre, Bauchi.
He argued that Nigeria’s democratic journey had been undermined by structural imbalances, particularly in the distribution of resources and the application of federal principles.
The governor used Bayelsa and the Niger Delta as examples, saying communities that have generated substantial oil wealth for the country have continued to face infrastructure and development deficits.
He said the disparity was particularly evident in the distribution of federally shared revenues, which, according to him, failed to reflect the contributions of resource-producing areas adequately.
“Democracy is built on three pillars – justice, equity, and fairness,” Diri said.
He cited Oloibiri, the historic oil-producing community in Bayelsa, as an example of what he described as the failure to translate resource wealth into commensurate development for host communities.
Diri also highlighted the situation in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, an oil-producing area which, he said, lacked road access to its headquarters for decades until his administration intervened.
He said his government recently constructed a 630-metre bridge to improve access to the local government headquarters.
The governor also criticised the disparity in the number of local government areas across states, arguing that Bayelsa’s eight local government areas placed it at a disadvantage in the distribution of resources.
He said the resources generated from oil-producing areas were shared among states with significantly different numbers of local government areas, describing the arrangement as inequitable.
Diri linked the country’s resource-management challenges to insecurity, citing gold-producing areas in northern Nigeria as another example of the relationship between natural resources and security challenges.
He argued that Nigeria could not build a stable democratic system without addressing the structural issues underpinning resource control, revenue distribution and governance.
“So, my dear leaders, my conclusion is that for democracy to thrive in Nigeria, there must be true federalism,” he said.
The governor called for a governance system that would give federating units greater responsibility and capacity to manage their resources and development priorities.
He commended former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation for sustaining the annual democracy dialogue, saying continued engagement was necessary to confront the country’s political and institutional challenges.
The dialogue, themed “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy?”, was organised in collaboration with the Bauchi State Government and chaired by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Former Vice President Namadi Sambo, former Senate President and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress Peter Obi, among other dignitaries, attended the event.
