By Kemi Yesufu
Emeritus Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan has warned that the country’s democracy in endangered by violent polls.
Onaiyekan in an interview with Sunday Sun argued that elections didn’t hold in Kogi. This is even as he said Nigeria cannot make progress with the culture of violent elections, with results that do not reflect the wishes of the people.
He said: “I have been watching elections in Nigeria, especially since the last return to so called democracy; 1999 isn’t it? Well, all the elections since 1999, as far as I am concerned, all apologies to people in government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) people who keep saying that they are improving.
“As far as I am concerned, it has been one failure after the other. You referred to the Bayelsa and Kogi elections. I don’t think there was any election in Kogi State that was as bad as that one. We can continue in denial, thinking that that is how things should be or that is the best we can do. This is not the best we can do; this doesn’t represent us, Nigeria. We are praying, we are praying that this kind of thing that we inflict upon ourselves – And because of bad election, we cannot set up a good government. It is clear”.
“We cannot set up a good government, we cannot tackle the issues that face us, and instead, we are getting all kinds of policies that don’t reflect the feelings of the majority of the people. And the country can’t progress in that way. We are hoping that we will find a way out of this and start gradually to improve. At least, gradually to improve so that we turn away from the direction that we are now facing which in my own view, I am not a pessimist, but I am a realist. I think it is carrying us to a very bad end. Those who speak about danger to democracy, I agree with them. Our democracy is in danger”, he added.
On the right of advice to be given to President Muhammadu at this point of his presidency, Onaiyekan said Buhari must uphold the rule of law.
He also asked the President to make appointments that reflect the country’s diversity and avoid one-sided
He said: “I will tell him that the basic rules of governance, of democracy are not being followed properly; elections are not being run in a transparent way, the result is that even though at the end of the day, with his Supreme Court judgment, we accept the status quo and let it go along, the fact is that the people still don’t believe that the election was free and fair. That is the fact!
“You cannot pretend that it is not having a negative impact on government. Instead of complaining that people are always complaining, do the right thing. There will be less complaints and government will move smoothly. Nigerians are not difficult to rule. It is the rulers who are making things difficult for everybody. And I will tell him that. I will also tell him that the religious factor in Nigeria is very important”.
“You cannot say it doesn’t matter whether the person there is a Christian or a Moslem. You can’t say that. You must include that in the way you distribute positions of authority just as they have put the Federal Character in the constitution to make sure that one part of the country does not control everything in Nigeria. Despite what is written in the constitution, of course, we seem to be even still at a situation where a large chunk of the very sensitive positions in Nigeria are going in one direction.
“Again, if he gives me the opportunity, I will give him examples that he probably may not be aware of; or above all, to let him know that those who are accusing him all this time are not talking for no reason at all. The fact that we are not saying those things loudly because we want a little, minimum of peace to reign in the land, does not mean that the country is at peace”, he further said.
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