NIGERIA has been a ground for negating the efficacy of Western values. From the White man’s civilising mission to economic values, most of which have been exposed as charade. And with the latest political value, democracy, roller-coastering itself as a self-serving governance template, becoming an end in itself, rather than a means to different ends, the common man has lost his voice in the formation of government he could regard as his, rolling back the expectation that democracy has always been miles apart from dictatorship.
Regretfully, Nigeria’s democracy has been debased of its fundamentals. A democracy can’t flourish without an independent and impartial electoral umpire. Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is anything but transparent, at a time declaring a winner whilst collation of results was ongoing in some states; at other times discarding the rules of the game midway into the elections. And with card-carrying members of the ruling parties as electoral commissioners, one wouldn’t expect a level playing ground for all candidates in an electoral contest.
Besides independence, no other political agenda was regarded as panacea to the developmental challenges of the nation as democracy. Its correlation with peaceful coexistence, and economic growth was regarded as gospel truth. It was the magic wand to reverse the self-serving atrocities of dictators, facilitating a coalition of patriotic Nigerians who fought to enthrone democratic rule in the nation.
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Regretfully, it was only for a short spell of democratic governance that the state was responsive to the yearnings of Nigerians. Largely, expectations haven’t been met, and hopes have been sufficiently dashed, engendering frustrations with the nation’s democratic project. And from May 2023, the state has been hugely disconnected from the nation’s non-ruling democratic communities, becoming an administrative monster dreaded by those who laboured to actualise democracy in the nation.
Why should the relations be ruptured so soon? What went wrong with the honeymoon of Nigerians with their democracy? Has democracy been specially transformed by the Nigerian ruling classes into a peculiar mess, an unsuitable governance paradigm for the nation?
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The expectations of Nigerians from their democratic project are many. First, the exclusive nature of military dictatorship would pave the way for a more inclusive governance template carrying all Nigerians – the rich and poor – on board the democratic train. And proportionate to their numerical weights, the representatives of all ethnic nationalities would partake in democratic governance of the nation. But the majority would always have their way, whilst the minority would have their say.
Democracy isn’t just desired for its sake, but for what it could ameliorate and deliver. Any democracy devoid of an impartial electoral agency, a competitive multiparty system, an incorruptible judiciary, and an independent National Assembly is rendered dysfunctional. For over two and a half decades, the incremental erosion of the fundamentals of democracy has transformed Nigeria’s democracy into a kleptocracy. It is only the daring kleptocrats who can compromise the electoral agency and the judiciary; and destabilise opposition parties, as is being done in Nigeria.
Secondly, a robust multi-party system would facilitate wider political choices, and freedom of political associations. Thirdly, public accountability would contain the corrupt self-serving dispositions of dictators. Fourthly, all the basic freedoms enshrined in local and international charters would be fully expressed and more protected; and above all, life would cease to be restrictive, becoming more abundant for every Nigerian.
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Regretfully, Nigeria’s democracy has been debased of its fundamentals. A democracy can’t flourish without an independent and impartial electoral umpire. Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is anything but transparent, at a time declaring a winner whilst collation of results was ongoing in some states; at other times discarding the rules of the game midway into the elections. And with card-carrying members of the ruling parties as electoral commissioners, one wouldn’t expect a level playing ground for all candidates in an electoral contest.
An incorruptible judiciary is indispensable to a people’s democracy. Nigeria’s judiciary, like its electoral agency, is anything but corrupt. Despite massive electoral irregularities over the past 7 presidential election cycles, the judiciary hasn’t deemed it fit to upturn any of the electoral heists.
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Without a robust multi-party system, democracy graduates into a single party dictatorship. The mindset of the Tinubu regime is to create a single party dictatorship by weakening the major opposition parties, thereby restricting political choices, and freedom of association.
The regime isn’t only contented with emasculating the opposition, but is set to make the National Assembly impotent by imposing its legislative minions as its principal officers.
Rather than making life more abundant for vulnerable Nigerians, there has been a drive to unfairly enrich those in executive positions at different levels. Provisions are selfishly made in legislative revenue generation and tax bills and acts for private consultancies for their collections to siphon public funds into a few pockets.
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Democracy isn’t just desired for its sake, but for what it could ameliorate and deliver. Any democracy devoid of an impartial electoral agency, a competitive multiparty system, an incorruptible judiciary, and an independent National Assembly is rendered dysfunctional. For over two and a half decades, the incremental erosion of the fundamentals of democracy has transformed Nigeria’s democracy into a kleptocracy. It is only the daring kleptocrats who can compromise the electoral agency and the judiciary; and destabilise opposition parties, as is being done in Nigeria.
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Unlike a people’s democracy, a kleptocracy is driven by extremely corrupt public officers: it is their rule, by them and for them. With the kleptocrats upending the democrats from the political scene, the economy would be at their beck and call, enabling them to perpetually reproduce their grip on the economy and themselves in power. The chickens of Nigeria’s democratic project have come home to roost, underscoring the end of the honeymoon between Nigerians and their democracy.
Now that the honeymoon is over, what should be done? Another level of political struggle is necessary to rescue democracy from the kleptocrats transforming democracy into an unfathomable political monster.
Jahun, a commentator on public affairs, writes from Dutse, Jigawa State capital. He can be reached via email@ aminuhabibu58@gmail.com or on 07039038088.
