When Fear Becomes Policy, Democracy Is on Trial

 Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s unfolding in Minnesota—and what it reveals about the fragile state of the US democracy.

When people are taken from their homes and communities without transparency or accountability, something fundamental is broken. When fear is deployed as a tool of governance, when basic rights are treated as privileges rather than guarantees, democracy itself is no longer theoretical—it is being tested in real time.

These are not abstract debates or distant warnings. They are lived realities. Families destabilized. Communities shaken. Trust eroded. What we are witnessing in Minnesota is not an isolated incident, and it is not accidental. It is part of a broader pattern—in US, Nigeria and across the world—where democratic institutions are being deliberately weakened and authoritarian practices are quietly normalized—and on the rapid climb.

This is why I felt compelled to share this post. It reflects a truth we can no longer afford to soften: democracy is under sustained and intentional pressure. Rights are being rolled back. Institutions meant to protect the public are being hollowed out. This moment is often described as “democratic backsliding,” but that language misses the point. What we are seeing is not a slip—it is a push. The rule of law is not merely eroding; it is being actively undermined.

And yet, even in this moment, I refuse despair.

I have seen what happens when civil society refuses to be silent. I have seen communities step in where governments fail. I have watched neighbors protect neighbors, advocates defend fundamental rights, and organizations commit—day after day—to putting people first. These efforts matter. They remind us that democracy may be fragile, but it is not powerless.

This moment demands that we hold two truths at once: that the threats we face are real and serious, and that progress has always depended on ordinary people choosing to act. Democracy does not sustain itself. It survives because people organize, participate, and insist—again and again—that dignity, justice, and accountability are non-negotiable.

I am grateful to be part of a community that responds to moments like this not with resignation, but with resolve. Thank you for showing up—for staying engaged, for standing up for others, and for helping build a future rooted in dignity, opportunity, and shared responsibility.

Democracy endures only if we defend it. And the work, now more than ever, belongs to all of us.

— With appreciation