The postulation of the India Scholar, Prof Appadorrai popular postulation that democracy is at best the least objectionable form of government that is practicable still holds sway as no superior idea has been able to dwarf it. In spite of the universal acceptance of this political theory, the demerits of democracy are too distinctive to be ignored and as such outweigh the merits. Some of these demerits are that votes are counted not weighed during elections. An issue that requires urgent decision has to be subjected to robust debate. Even if Majority of the debaters are men and women of low capacity and competencies with no philosophy or ideology, you find them debating on sensitive issues that affect social and material wellbeing of Nigerians.
Participation, periodic election, rule of law. Majority supremacy and dividend of democracy especially as regards significant improvement in the socio-economic status of the people are the major benefits of democracy. The recent ranking of democracy of Nigeria as the nation with the highest number of impoverished on earth. But our politicians are the group of the most affluent in the world. This is a clear manifestation of what we have benefited from democracy since 1999. No wonder Nigerians seems to have lost hope as they no longer talk of dividend of democracy emphasis is now more on survival.
INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakub
The truth is that dividend of democracy in a predominantly illiterate and impoverished society like Nigeria will always remain mirage at best washy. In this situation, choice of leadership are influenced largely based on status of their stomach infrastructure – that is the status of their socio economic and material status not their conscience and sense of discernment. The popular Marxist theory that every human behavior is influenced by the economic reality on ground justifies this. No wonder vote buying has suddenly found its way into our political development lexicon.
Development does not just occur by accident. Development is a function of the resolve of the people to improve their social and material wellbeing. This also is anchored on the ability of the people to choose leaders with appropriate capacities and competencies. This ability is more often than not hindered by the poor social and material wellbeing of the people.
In Nigeria, the political processes and procedures portray democracy as an end. Democracy is not an end but a means to an end. It is an established fact that our political process and democracy is the most expensive in the world. When a political process is so expensive that you need a fortune to buy expression of interest form, just to serve the people, desperation level of such politician would definitely be high. Politics ought to be like a game. But in Nigeria today, Politics is like oil and gas business where return on investment far exceed the colossal resources invested.
In a socio-economic and political milieu where the wages of the political actors are unfairly and unreasonably padded with superfluously juicy perks( to the detriment of nonpolitical actors in the society) is bound to engender high voltage desperation and violence. Hence the do or die posture towards election. Also, the prevailing social dislocations and convulsions that usually characterize our political process is the attendant consequence of this baseless and horrendous bumper package for politicians. That a politician has the statutory mandate to appropriate does not mean he should appropriate the whole or larger part wealth of the nation to him
Worse still, a politician who having paid so much for form suddenly discovered that rather than conducting a free and fair primaries, tickets are shared to preferred candidates like sharing souvenir in “Owambe” party by political parties would not take it lightly. The bottled up grudges of these shortchanged politicians is what normally manifest before, during and after election as violence.
Times without number the customs have impounded arms and ammunition being imported to Nigeria. But the public has never been informed of the personalities behind this importation and neither has anybody been prosecuted for this offence. When a criminal is sanctioned for a particular offence, it serves as a deterrent against other criminal elements in the society. In one of the recent FEC meetings, observation was made about the increase in the importation arms and ammunition for the forthcoming 2019 general election. This was corroborated by the DSS report. I do not think we should complain for self-inflicted injuries, when flies start paying us visit. Those behind this importation seem to be invisible and invincible.
Against the backdrop of the above ills bedeviling our political process, the first and effective panacea to stem the tide of violence that usually characterizes our election is deliberate and sincere efforts by the political actors to DE merchandise gour political process. Reasonable fee should be charged for expression of interest form. When it cost fortune to get into political office, the temptation to misappropriate, divert funds and outright looting become options for quick recovery usually executed in partnership with civil servants. Legislators/Senator should earn same salary with a Director in the Federal civil Service; Honorable should earn same with Deputy Directors. Desperation and violence will not only be reduced to the barest minimum, the political space will be widened for more credible leaders with meager means but visionary and resourceful to contest. For God sake a retired Headmaster should be able to contest for the LG CHAIRMAN OR SENATE.
Our political process should be made to be more inclusive and credible by conducting free and fair primaries and also the general election as this will make bitterness and discontentment amongst politicians to thin out thereby stemming possible violence.
Any Politician that display such high level of debauchery and desperation to the level of importing arms and ammunition on be exposed, arrested,, prosecuted and be banned for life from taking part in politics. Politics should actually not be a do or die , if the desire is actually just to serve the people and the nation.
Any approach outside these highlighted panaceas for violence free election in Nigeria will amount to playing the ostrich. Signing of Peace Accord by the aspirants is far from the solution. It is also imperative and worthy of note that these panacea be timely implemented without delay before our politicians start importing tanks for election because of the baseless and preposterous package bumper enough to take care of their need and greed in a country with the highest number of impoverished on earth. What a paradox!
Comrade Remi Adeleke is a public affairs analyst, resident of 10 PDP quarters of Suleja , Niger state
He can be reached via email on: [email protected]
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