‘No Presidency Is Greater Than the People’ — Olawunmi Calls for Democratic Consent

A presidency is temporary. The people remain. That is the central argument in a new statement by Commodore Kunle Olawunmi (retd.), who has called for democratic consent, accountable governance and peaceful constitutional change in Nigeria.

In a statement titled “Democratic Consent: No Presidency Is Greater Than the People,” Olawunmi argued that citizens should be able to support or criticise a government without being treated as disloyal.

He also drew a distinction between the country and the government running it.

According to him, criticism of those exercising political power should not automatically be treated as criticism of Nigeria itself.

The distinction matters because political disagreement in Nigeria often becomes personal, partisan or regional.

Olawunmi argued that responsibility for government decisions should rest with those who exercise public authority rather than being transferred to an entire ethnic or geographical community simply because an officeholder comes from that area.

His statement also addressed constitutional change. He called for political changes to be pursued through lawful and peaceful processes rather than through force or personal ambition.

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The broader principle in his argument is that public office derives its legitimacy from citizens and the constitutional system, not from the personality of the individual occupying the office.

That argument extends beyond any single administration. Presidents change. Governments change. Political parties change.

But the constitutional relationship between citizens and public authority remains a central part of democratic government.

Olawunmi therefore framed democratic consent as a continuing obligation rather than something that ends after an election. He also warned against placing political ambition above human life, saying, “No presidency is greater than the people. No political ambition is more sacred than human life.”

ValidViewNetwork reports that Olawunmi’s statement places democratic accountability, constitutional procedure and citizens’ right to political disagreement at the centre of a wider conversation about how political power should be exercised in Nigeria. ValidViewNetwork reports.