Nigeria has always been a volatile political ground from which riot or revolution might erupt during and after any general election. But, the vulnerability of the electorate, not nationalism has been keeping the tendency at bay.
The build up to the 2011 general elections is no exception to the previous ones, considering the acrimony, squabble, propaganda, power play, violent and desperate jostle of elective positions and offices by our repulsive politicians whose interests are centered on selves rather than national good.
Our legislature impervious to criticism and famous for their self representation and filibuster propensity to issue of national interest have suddenly remembered their constituencies. The need to visit their people, whom they ought to be representing for close to 4 years have suddenly become paramount. Sycophants are overtly clamouring for the return to power of an irrelevant evil genius. Self made godfathers are lurked in a battle of supremacy with their erstwhile political godsons. Political harlots with no ideologies and nothing to offer except looting of national treasure are shamelessly defecting to other parties, to save themselves from political oblivion. The sudden transformation of the ex-khaki boys to democrats, the deceptive jettison of zoning by our almighty PDP, even the permutations and predictions by political analysts and soothsayers have made the whole political system intriguing.
My worry is not about these good for nothing raiders, I’m sorry, leaders and their antecedents, but the Nigerian electorates(victims) who have failed to utilize their political sovereignty to effect the long awaited change. Power they say “belongs to the people.” Political sovereignty refers to the electorate and constituted by the electorate from whom political office holders derive their power. As the build up to 2011 general elections gathers momentum, it behooves all well meaning Nigerians – nationalists, activists, intellectuals and journalists to tackle the vulnerability and abasement of the electorate by embarking on aggressive mass sensitization through effective communication because communication provides the means by which society makes up its mind and knows itself.
If we must move Nigeria out of this quagmire and dysfunctional political system characterized by subtle military dictatorship and inflexible political structure, then we must as a matter of national interest evaluate our democracy from inception and collectively examine the various performances of all the office holders from local government to federal level.
Firstly, democracy is a system of government in which all the people of a country can vote to elect, not, select their representatives. It includes fair and equal treatment of all citizens and their right to take part in making decisions.
Let’s pause for a while and sincerely ask ourselves if our votes had counted since 1999. While meditating on that, consider the system that brought them to power, were they elected or selected and imposed on us? Do not answer impetuously, in the area of our right to take part in decision making; have we been given fair and equal treatment? If the answers are no, then, my assertion is that there is urgent need for change.
Secondly, let’s forget about these political slogans, such as the illusion call vision 2020 and their likes, propaganda, governance on billboards and commissioning of petty project by these unscrupulous politicians and critically evaluate the condition of an average Nigerian and more importantly our socio-economic development as a nation. Have we progressed or retrogressed?
The fact that our legislature are fighting over an increase in their monthly allowance to N42 million; the planned budget of N6.6 billion for the Independent Day jamboree, coupled with the excruciating revelation of how Nigeria generated over $200 billion from oil in the last ten years of our democracy-yet more than 75% of Nigerian leave in penury/abject poverty are enough reasons for insurrection
It is true that the contemporary state is sovereign, with legitimate power as one of its features; yet there are things the government would not do because of the “Rule of Anticipated Reaction,” according to Carl Fredrich. It is time for Nigerian electorate to be mindful of their rights and fight the liberation course without abasement.
Karl Marx saw obedience to the mid-nineteenth century capitalist state as a habit, and a bad habit. According to Marxists, “Society was a conspiracy by the powerful few against the exploited many. A tyranny established by force and perpetuated by guile. The oppressed classes obeyed the state only as long as they thought themselves powerless to resist it or because they were tricked by propaganda into believing that they ought not to resist.” Nigerians need to see the true fact of the situation. We need to open our eyes, unite, become together, powerful enough to throw off these chains.
Obedience to law should rest on a common will not force and centuries over centuries political thinkers have sought various answers to justify resistance to political authority. Firstly, there is the ground of natural law. All positive enactments and administrative acts, contrary to natural law, are null and void and should be disobeyed to the points of resistance.
Secondly, within the state, there is an unconditional obligation incumbent upon its citizens to obey the law duly passed by the legislature in conformity with the constitution or an act of government duly done under a law so passed. Political obligation is a social contract. It is a bargain, and therefore citizens will continue to obey only as long as the terms of the bargain are respected.
Thirdly, when there is clear evidence that over a reasonable period, the state is not doing its duty; in other words, when its actions are not in accordance with it purpose, the citizens have a moral right to resist. Therefore, I make bold to say that our situation as citizens has gotten to such extent and any act of resistance now or in the foreseeable future is justifiable.
As we warm up for 2011, let’s not forget that this our so called democracy was a fallout of the growing unpopularity of military regime occasioned by the annulment of June 12,1993 presidential election, believed to have been won by late MKO Abiola. His incarceration and sudden death saw the country on the edge of a precipice and the military quest to remain relevant in our political system informed the then Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar and his lieutenants to impose on the entire nation the monstrous regime led by Obasanjo. Of course, the rest is now history.
That administration ushered in unprecedented events in our history as a nation. It also saw the emergence of first class corrupt raiders, not leaders – the termites and the cankers worms that almost loot the nation to insolvency with impunity. What was their reward? National Honour, for their iniquitous practice and unpatriotism. Sometimes, I wonder if we are a nation that celebrates mediocrity.
Instead of hiding their faces in shame or escape to Dubai like Ibori did, these unscrupulous politicians are on the rampage again, heating up the political arena, appearing in public functions, Tv Radio, News Papers and Magazines as speakers and guest speakers, lending their voices on issues of national interest.
Before we are deceived into voting for them and their surrogates, let’s consider their abandoned projects and buildings still in abeyance after billions of state funds had been approved for them. Consider also the lives of young generation of Nigerians prematurely terminated by sponsored and political motivated religious crises and road accidents occasioned by the deplorable state of almost all our major roads, unemployment which has forced our youths into crime, all manner of sicknesses as a result of unclean environments and poor health policy, the fall in the standard of education in Nigeria, epileptic power supply and under-development caused by embezzlement of public funds by these insensitive and insatiable politicians.
Sincerely, at this our under-developed stage, we need government based on rules rather than caprice and arbitrariness. We do not need legislature who will not visit their constituencies for 15 months, governors who will divert state funds to personal use or to service the personal needs of their insatiable godfathers or a globe trotting president who will forget the realities on ground. Let us be careful in deciding who to cast our votes for, forget their oratory, ill gotten wealth and their subtle clamouring for electoral reform. Rather, let us identify these disgruntled elements (termites and canker worms) and use our insecticide on them i.e make them redundant through our weapon of change (vote). Before the labours of our heroes past goes in vain, remember those demon-crats, we saw at Ekiti, Edo, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, etc who used thugs armed with AK47 to snatch ballot boxes and unleashed mayhem on their fellow citizens. Most of them are the so called distinguished senators of the Federal Republic, while some are the Honourable members of the House of Representatives. They can be identified through their aberrant behaviour, action and their intrusive and unguided comments on the pages of newspapers and magazines.
What will you call a local government chairman whose attempt to jump the queue at filling station in Osun State met with resistance from his own people and he in turn invited thugs and in the process a 62 years old woman was abused, cars smashed, people injured and the chairman of DHL died later as a result of injuries he sustained while the fracas lasted – Honourable or Area boy?
How do you qualify a former state governor who prefer self exile rather than to clear himself from corrupt allegations against him? What about a former Head of State; I’m sorry! Former president who publicly championed violence when he declare that the 2007 election was do or die affair for his party? What about a former Attorney General who overtly aided criminals, fraudsters and public office holders accused of crime? Have you forgotten a one time minister of education who could afford to lavish N120 million on his wedding anniversary while ASUU and other university unions were on strike?
Watch out! they are the ones heating up the political arena with their surrogates. Let’s prove to them that we are no fools after all. They believe that our votes do not count. Use the insecticide on the termites and be hopeful, this time – who knows, with Jega – our votes could count come 2011
By Don Norman Obinna