As I argued sometime ago, democratic governance is a team effort, not a one-man show. Thus, no matter how disciplined or incorruptible a politician might seem to a certain segment of the population, he or she cannot make solid positive impact if the political structure is as skewed as what we have presently – indeed, it is the single most profound cause of our arrested development. So, expeditious restructuring of the Nigerian federation such that more political and fiscal powers are devolved to the six geopolitical zones is the most urgent political task at this period in our national development.
Let us focus our attention on the attitudes of politicians and their supporters shortly before, during and immediately after elections. It is regrettable that many prominent politicians and their supporters are yet to imbibe appropriate democratic outlook with respect to elections. Their minds are still dominated by the loathsome attitude of do-or-die politics reminiscent of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s political ideology and praxis. To be candid, comparatively speaking, Gen. Buhari, far more than President Jonathan, has made threatening and incendiary comments about the current elections and their aftermath.
Aside from his frightening remarks about dogs and baboons being soaked in blood if the elections were rigged by the PDP (as if APC was immune from rigging), APC members as a whole have manifested appalling disdain for President Jonathan. Never in the history of Nigeria has a sitting President been criticised, ridiculed, insulted and jeered at by the opposition as Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
The barrage of hyperbolic disdainful language against Mr. President reached its zenith when he was uncharitably described as clueless, weak and incompetent, and his government as the most corrupt in Nigerian history. Of course, the campaign machinery of the PDP also tried really hard to discredit Gen. Buhari’s electability, but APC was already ahead in the media war of attrition, stridently exaggerating and parading the shortcomings of President Jonathan while trumpeting the alleged virtues of Gen. Buhari.
Now, I believe that despite the inherent combativeness of electioneering campaigns, there should be respect for the office of President since it is the epicentre of political power in the country and embodies core political values that hold different ethnic nationalities together.
Therefore, for democracy to thrive, Nigerians must cultivate the attitude of respect for political institutions, particularly the presidency, irrespective of who occupies various positions in the system. Constant disparagement of a sitting President belittles the office and compromises its symbolic value and the positive magnetic pull it should have on the citizenry. Politicians must recognise that leadership is about service, and that the attitude of decency and respect towards political opponents is a virtue, not a sign of weakness.
A politician that does not respect his political rivals lacks maturity: he would be disrespectful to the people as well. Decency, selflessness, humility, and brotherliness are essential attributes to be cultivated by politicians who really desire to elevate the democratisation process in Nigeria. In this connection, Dr. Jonathan, inspite of his failures as President, deserves credit for his civilised attitude to political power. In his speeches and conduct, the incumbent President manifests total commitment to the concept of politics-without-bitterness. Now, although his laid-back attitude to power, to political contestation, creates the impression of weakness in the minds of his traducers, there is hidden strength in that very attitude.
In a fledgling democracy like ours where political office is one of the quickest means of amassing wealth, most politicians deliberately discard morality in their quest for power. Therefore, it requires a politician with moral fibre and enlightened disposition to power to approach politics with an urbane mentality. Mr. President himself made it clear that nobody’s political ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian. If this kind of attitude becomes widespread among politicians in the country, the ugly bugbear of politics-with-bitterness will be tamed.
It must be admitted that democratic governance requires continuous work and unceasing adjustment to make it successful. Decision-making in such a system is inherently cumbersome and slow, especially in large, multiply pluralistic democracies like Nigeria.
That is the price for avoiding the crippling evils of monarchy and authoritarianism. Moreover, since the citizens are compelled to entrust power to elected representatives, there is a tendency for the masses to have so little a sense of power to the extent of considering elections pointless. In otherwords, except he feels enthusiasm for a politician, the voter in a large democracy feels so impotent to influence political decisions that he or she often does not consider it worthwhile to vote. Given that scenario, the best way to consolidate democracy is to ensure that election results reflect the true wishes of the electorate.
Unfortunately, because of the irrational desire to win at all cost, rigging and different types of electoral malpractices have punctuated Nigeria’s democratic evolution several times. To discourage this, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must deploy well-trained staff and technology to make the electoral processes more transparent and immune from manipulation. Additionally, government and non-governmental organisations should continuously embark on enlightenment programmes highlighting the dangers of electoral malpractices and the role citizens can play in preventing unscrupulous politicians and election officials from manipulating the system.
This means that Nigerians have to be involved more than ever before in the political process. If the people genuinely want a solid democracy, they must work hard for it, in the full knowledge that effective representative government does not just happen: on the contrary, it is created and nurtured by patriotic citizens who see themselves as responsible stakeholders in the difficult task of nation-building. Politics, the way I see it, is too important to be left in the hands of politicians and INEC officials alone. The attitude of indifference or siddon look is out of the question; it provides fertile opportunities for scallywags to hijack the political process. Since politics abhors a vacuum, it is imperative for Nigerians of eighteen years and above to get involved politically, especially by voting in every election to prevent kakistocracy.
Democratic consolidation in Nigeria, like in every other country, demands the diffusion of certain mental attributes in the citizens. The attitude of mutual respect, tolerance in all its ramifications and willingness to compromise are essential. But none of these is clear-cut or easily applicable in the practical political situations where they are actually needed.
At this point, let us harvest some key points of our analysis. The democratic experiment in Nigeria is an alloyed blessing: it has allowed a greater proportion of the people to have a say in who governs them, and created a non-violent avenue for replacing politicians who failed to meet the needs and aspirations of the people. However, it has also deepened centrifugal forces, which if not properly managed might lead to disintegration.
To consolidate the modest gains made since the return to democratic rule in 1999, Nigerians must cultivate and practicalise democratic values embedded in the notion of live and let live, respect for one another and willingness to engage in the political process. Democracy is fragile, but it is the best political fruit of civilisation. Consequently, it must be nurtured and nourished in an atmosphere of intellectual and moral freedom. Concluded
VANGUARD
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