Nigerian political scientists have expressed concern that the benefits of democracy have not been equitably distributed 26 years after the country's return to democratic rule in 1999.

Professor Hassan Saliu, Chairman of the Nigeria Political Scientists Association (NPSA), stated during a press briefing in Ilorin, Kwara State, yesterday that Nigeria's democratic journey has been "fraught with challenges" despite efforts by successive administrations to improve citizens' lives through policy reforms.

Speaking on the anniversary of the Fourth Republic's inception in May 1999, Prof. Saliu noted: "While governments have introduced initiatives to advance democratic ideals, the dividends of democracy remain unevenly accessible to many Nigerians, reflecting systemic inequities that persist across regions and socio-economic groups."

The academic highlighted issues such as governance transparency, equitable resource distribution, and inclusive representation as areas needing urgent attention to ensure democracy's benefits reach all citizens.

"The reality on the ground suggests that the benefits of democracy have not been evenly distributed," Saliu declared.

Saliu, a lecturer at the University of Ilorin, listed military hangovers, self-serving interests, poor policy implementation, over-reliance on neo-liberal economic principles, politics as a business, lack of progressive ideologies, quick fixes and divisiveness as issues hindering effective democratic governance in the country.

He tied the aforementioned issues to credibility concerns in elections, undemocratic political parties, party cross-carpeting and dominance by a single party.

He identified other challenges as: "Budget padding, erosion of the middle class, poverty and unemployment, debt accumulation, stress in democratic practice and investments in non-impactful projects, promotion of primordial sentiments, rancorous politics, subservient legislature and loss of independence of action.

"Given these challenges, the NPSA is concerned about the state of democracy in the country. We note that democracy has largely served the interests of the ruling elite, while the majority of citizens have not benefited significantly.

"To address these issues, it is essential to reorient the political system towards developmental politics prioritising citizens' needs."

Fundamental adjustments, according to him, are necessary to ensure democracy delivers benefits to all Nigerians, not just a privileged few.

"The reality of democracy in Nigeria today is that it has not prioritised the people. This should not be so," he stressed.