"THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WESTERN DEMOCRACY AND NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY"

(i). Playing politics, holding public elected and appointed positions in the western democracies are the direct avenues where the society can directly benefit from the public services of their elected and appointed officials. In Nigeria, it is a direct avenue for the personal enrichment of our public officials through all types of shady corrupt practices.

(ii). Politicians and public officials in the western nations do not become rich from holding public service. In Nigeria, it is the direct passport for public officials to become overnight dollar-rated millionaires and billionaires.

(iii). The important public offices in the western world are considered as the powerful positions where political policies and agendas can be implemented to shape the society for good. In Nigeria, those positions are called juicy and lucrative appointments where public funds can be stolen and mismanaged.

(iv). The richest members of the society in the western nations are not their politicians, elected and appointed officials, but business entrepreneurs, investors, investment bankers, sports and entertainment celebrities. In Nigeria, our richest men and women are the past and the serving Presidents, ministers, governors, ambassadors, military generals, senior civil servants and top security chiefs.

(v). In the western world, their politicians raise money for their own campaign expenses and to pay for the radio, newspaper and television adverts where their campaign promises and political ideologies are sold to their electorates. In Nigeria, our politicians use their own campaign money that is stolen from the state treasury to bribe those electoral officials and security personnels as well as to buy bags of rice and sugar for the electorates.

(vi). In the western world, their elections are always free, fair, transparent and credible by reflecting the general will of the majority of the voters. In Nigeria, our elections are marred with all types of electoral frauds and are sold to the highest bidders, incumbent public officials as well as to the moneybags politicians.