JUNE 12 AND THE SOUL OF NIGERIA: TAM ARIAYE CALLS FOR DEMOCRATIC AWAKENING
By Prince Agbedeyi Odimientimi Desmond
For Global Egberi Media International
As Nigeria marks June 12 Democracy Day, a symbolic yet weighty date in the country’s political calendar, Tam Ariaye, a respected media strategist, public philosopher, and civic thought leader, has issued a bold charge to the Nigerian people and their leaders.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Global Egberi Media International, Tam described the current state of Nigeria's democracy as "ritualistic, elite-controlled, and dangerously hollow."
“June 12 is no longer just a memory of a stolen mandate. It is a mirror, showing us the consequences of forgetting what democracy is supposed to mean.”— Tam Ariaye
DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA: FORM WITHOUT SPIRIT
Tam Ariaye laments what he calls Nigeria’s "aesthetic democracy" — one that is visually present but spiritually absent.
“We have the anthem, the elections, the institutions — but we don’t have the ethics, the empathy, or the accountability. Democracy in Nigeria wears agbada, but its heart is still in chains.”
He blames this on the failure of the political class to evolve beyond conquest politics, where offices are captured, not earned; and citizens are manipulated, not empowered.
ON THE YOUTH: “THEY ARE THE LAND THAT WAS NEVER TILLED”
On Nigeria’s youth, Tam’s words were both poetic and painful:
“Nigerian youth are the land that was never tilled, yet blamed for not bearing fruit. We gave them failed schools, no jobs, and still expect them to build the future?”
He warned that the alienation of young people could erupt in unpredictable ways.
“What you starve will one day either die or bite. Our democracy will not survive if we continue treating youth inclusion as tokenism or decoration.”
THE MEDIA: “TRUTH IS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES”
Tam, whose career spans both traditional and new media, was blunt:
“The media has become timid. Press freedom is under assault — not just by the government, but by poverty, partisanship, and silence. Truth is now an endangered species in Nigeria.”
He called for a reawakening of the Fourth Estate as a moral compass and democratic watchdog.
“Until we reclaim journalism as a moral force and not just a commercial tool, the masses will remain uninformed, misled, and subdued.”
JUNE 12 AS A SPIRITUAL ASSIGNMENT
Tam believes June 12 should be a national ritual of reflection and renewal.
“June 12 was never about just Abiola. It was about the Nigerian dream — that your vote will count, that power must submit to the people. That dream is still alive, but it is bleeding.”
MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT TINUBU: “WE WANT LEGACY, NOT LITURGY”
To President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Tam had this message:
“The people want light, jobs, justice — not praise songs and painted roads. Tinubu must decide if he wants to be a ruler or a reformer.”
He called for electoral reform, decentralization, and people-first policies.
FINAL WORD: “DEMOCRACY IS A DAILY BATTLE”
“Democracy is not a gift. It is not a holiday. It is a daily battle for dignity, truth, and justice. Every Nigerian must become a soldier in that war — armed with conscience, conviction, and courage.”
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