Grassroots Democracy Under SiegeByAbbas A. Dikko
The growth and survival of democracy anywhere in the world, rest squarely on how best it is/was nurtured from the grassroot, the growth and survival of any nation, rest heavily on its compliance to the practice, culture and tenets of democracy and its democratisation process so long that country is a secular state. The economic integration of any country world over, vested enormously on good governance, rule of law, natural justice and constitutionality as embedded in its existing system.
Achieving these can only be through the fulcrum of civility and decorum, justice and fairness, honesty and sincerity, transparency and accountability, due process and diligence in our acts, conduct and management of the affairs of our nation and its people; be it political, economy and social.
Luckily, we had done away with rancour and nonentity call democracy and good governance by putting a complete halt to 3rd term, likes of Ettehgate insensitivity and total onslaught to the eight dispensable hard years of Obasanjo misplacement of our resources, abuse of our collective patrimony and impunity rule. Credit must be given to; our media, some among our political class and elites, civil and liberty organizations, opinionated and public commentators and, the Nigerian populace for their unflinching support, understanding, patience and perseverance, gratitude to God Almighty for His infinite mercies.
If this Clique call Cabals had succeeded in actualising their political dreams, definitely, democracy with all its tenets and doctrine would have eluded Nigeria. Not minding its quantum resources, number in population, largeness in size and leader in the continent of Africa. Today, we would have been nowhere near simple majority rule rather one party system and state.
However, a new government from the centre to the component units had emerged and already in place, though, amidst electoral flaws and crises deliberately orchestrated by the immediate past regime for its failure to get away with its inordinate ambition. That gave birth to the present political instability, litigations and search for an antidote to correcting the anomalies. Therefore, the first ever governors retreat, other retreats and conferences by other stake holders in the system, held last quarter of this year, in my presumption, was expected to serve as catalyst in proffering solutions to our political demagogue.
More so, the unveiling legal outcome from the election tribunals and appellant courts, one might have thought, the end to this instability and, the break through of popular democracy within the confine of its doctrine has come? Unfortunately, the recently conducted local government election in some of the states of the federation and the results therein, turned out to be another food for thought. No doubt, our grassroot democracy, which is the bedrock for a comprehensive democratic culture and good governance, is under serious threat and requires a state of emergency.
It sounds magical for ANPP to win 41 local government councils out of 44 in Kano State, PDP to win all the 30 Local Government councils and 333 wards in Ekiti State, all the councils in Enugu, Cross River, Ebonyi, Kwara, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Edo and Ogun States respectively out of the 36 States that so far conducted their local council polls. The questions, one may ask; is this good political development? Isn’t this what we saw in the immediate past regime? Are these governors convincing the world that, their people are all ANPP inclined in Kano State and all PDP in Ekiti State, so also these other states? Are there no other political parties in their states in a country with 50 registered political parties? And, what do they envisage under this situation to be the future of our democracy in this jet age era?
What were or remains the essence of their first ever retreat and the appeal therein by President Umar Musa Yar’ Adua in relation to by and local government elections? What were the lessons learnt from the outcome of this retreat or could it just be a funfair and acclimatization of selves? Whatever had been the subject of discourse and deliberation at the colourful and publicized retreat, it has never been translated for the interest and benefits of their people, considering the recent happenings at the local government polls.
The local government elections that so far took place in these states should have been expected to be the first litmus test, much after the retreat. Disappointingly, these were no elections, but nudity; an abuse of peoples intelligence, disregards to due process, fairness, and rule of law. These were part of the contraption we found ourselves in the last democratic dispensation that became the albatross to our political stability, economic progression and social cohesion, which the country is struggling to get out of the human made conjunctures.
The ongoing litigations in the election tribunals and other courts; nullifications and removals of some of the presumed winners of the electoral sham of April 2007, does not seems to serve as a deterrent, warning and lessons to be learnt by these states executives. Some among them are still living under the illusion of Obasanjo jaundice style of leadership, which would never lead our democracy and democratisation process as well, the nation to conform to the best acceptable practice world over.
Therefore, the aftermath and consequences of their insincere actions before and during the conduct of the elections were the carnage we saw in Kano and Edo States, boycott in Ekiti and Ebonyi States and the voter’s apathy in Enugu and Ogun States. Any political analyst or pundit can draw a conclusion that, majority and popular rule is yet to gain its ground in this country simply because, our grassroot democracy is deliberately distorted and denied every breathing space and opportunity to grow like any other advanced democracy in the world.
However, these unfolding scenarios, glaringly took place between November and now. More worrisome of all, if this continues to be the tradition, our nascent democracy would unfailingly be derailed and that likely tendency of Nigeria becoming a one party state is quite obvious, which may not augur well for not only the country, but the continent of Africa. The foresaw storm that is gathering its momentum, for the fact, about 27 States are yet to conduct their local government polls, if not checkmated, may replicate what took place in these other 9 states. Where this so happened, the aftermath generally may be too ugly and a shame. States Judiciaries may not be able to impact legally in redressing the depressed situation. Their relationship with the governors is a clear case of “respondiate superior”.
The remains of the hope of the common man, oppressed and country’s democracy are; media, analyst and columnist, the opposition are weak and easily consumed because of greed and partly coercion using the necessary state apparatus at the governors’ disposal. Disturbingly, even the media, seems to have gone to sleep or resting on its oars, instead of exposing and condemning in its entirety, the atrocities, pre–determined and stage-managed manner that characterized the conduct of the polls, it resolved to treating it with disdain, reporting the episode as a mere news item.
Our renowned analyst and opinionated, mostly being featured in our local Tv stations hard talk shows, wish it away as if, it is no serious matter that requires immediate intervention. The anchor persons of the programmes never saw the rational behind bringing it to the front burner for diligent deliberation, not until the ruination occurs and the remedies became too costly to handle.
Our revered newspaper columnist never saw anything important or hazardous about it, more to think of putting pen on paper to condemn in totality, the dastardness and balkanisation of our polity at the grassroot. Neither sees anything wrong in denying the local populace their constitutional right of choosing their leadership at the 3rd tier of the system. Soon after, we begin the condemnation of the States Executives for manipulating the local council’s resources through their installed cronies and joint account arrangements.
Furthermore, we extend our discussions through seminars and workshops as a panacea for checkmating rural/urban drift and population explosion in our cities due mainly to lack of cottage industries and social amenities in our rural areas. Subconsciously, we neglect to attack head–on where the ruins begin until it degenerated to a point of coma. These were the architectural designs of the immediate past regime, they are now rearing their ugly face again and everybody is watching hopelessly.
President Umar Musa Yar’ Adua, who came to power through such controversial nature, knows full well, where it hurt. He has therefore, quickly voice out his mind via a categorical statement that, this, “is unacceptable”. Yet, some people were raising all sorts of observations and comments that, it is a constitutional matter as well, a beneficiary of the same process. So, one wonder whether the country should be allowed to wallow in darkness? |