PDP Zoning And
Majority Rule In A Democracy
By
Leonard Karshima
Shilgba, PhD
shilgba@yahoo.com
The Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) has an arrangement for zoning elective political positions to
specific geo-political regions within specific periods of time. Naturally,
there are three questions that require an analytic enquiry and
investigation: Is this practice in conflict with the provisions of the
Nigerian constitution? Can this provision prevent a free-born Nigerian
from, at any time of his or her choosing, aspiring to, freely contesting
for, and occupying an elective office for which he is constitutionally
qualified in a given period of time? Does this tradition of the PDP not
preclude fair play in a democracy, which constitutionally recognizes
majority votes in determination of issues of governance, and majority rule
as the consequence thereof?
I answer plainly. Any
arrangement, within a political party, nuclear community, or a country,
which places an embargo, temporarily or otherwise, on a group of people on
the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, or social status, from aspiring to
and running for any elective office is a violation of the principle of
human equality and dignity. And this goes against the provisions of the
Nigerian constitution, both in letter and spirit. PDP argues that what the
constitution does not outlaw, it permits. A close reading of the
constitution shows that our constitution outlaws discrimination on the
basis of race, gender, or religion. And in matters of election, the
constitution empowers only the Nigerian people to decide who governs them.
Accordingly, any practice by a political party that undermines the
clarity, visibility, and purity of that choice goes against the grains and
constitutes a violation of the constitution. In other words, the
contamination of the soil on which choice is rooted will contaminate its
fruits; in fact, it becomes a choice between all rotten or polluted
fruits. This is the damage that political rotation does to the suffrage of
a people. For years, white minority rule in South Africa prevailed.
Nigeria was in the forefront of efforts to end Apartheid policies in that
country. But here we are in the twenty first century, with the PDP-led
government in Nigeria, placing barriers across the path of Nigerians to
choose to vote and be voted for. And another painful thing is that they
know how to rig.
Let me state seven
reasons why the zoning system by the PDP is wrong:
-
Faulty premise:
The PDP (and any political party that agrees with its practice) assumes
that rotation of the office of President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria between the North and South is sufficient to establish
“fairness.” The problem with this assumption lies, not only in a faulty
definition of fairness, but also in a faulty understanding of the
composition of Nigeria. Nigeria is not the South and North. There is no
historical evidence of the homogeneity of either the South or North.
Nigeria comprises more than 250 nations. How then can a simple rotation
of the office of President between the North and South be a basis for
“fairness”? Do all nationalities in the North of the country view
themselves as being served with fairness should one of them be [s]elected
President on behalf of the rest? Would the whole of the South be
contented if the same thing should happen to one of the nationalities in
that part of Nigeria? If we must play fair according to the simplified
understanding of the PDP, it would take more than 2000 years to bring
the game to an acceptably fair conclusion in the first round. Each of
the 250 nationalities must present a President, who shall rule for 8
years. This renders the PDP position untenable, unworkable, and simply
empty.
-
Fallacious precedence:
The history and experiences of
Nigeria down the years have shown that sense of injustice,
marginalization, and hurt has not been eased by rotation of political
offices between ethnic nationalities. To the contrary, such practice has
rather accentuated the consciousness of our deep differences deep within
our national psyche. The cause of true nationhood has not been served
thereby. What has not worked is ready to be discarded. Adamant
insistence with an unworkable arrangement only confirms stubborn folly
and disservice to the nation.
-
False pride:
False pride that comes with someone from our part of the country
occupying a public office such as President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria has more often than not been replaced with a sense of shame due
to poor governance and corruption. If the PDP-induced political rotation
doctrine had served the good cause of governance, maybe some little
comfort would have been derived, and yet that would never be a
justification; but our sorry harvest of styles is being foisted by an
endless sentence of mediocrity in leadership, no thanks to PDP in recent
times.
-
Fraudulent practice:
If democracy is a system of governance that involves the people in the
leadership selection process, and yet the underbelly of that process is
darkened by cult selection, how more fraudulent could a process be? If I
am constitutionally endowed with rights to make a choice, I must be
presented with all inclined options. There must be transparent internal
democracy within the political parties to guarantee open contest between
all constitutionally eligible options. The people decide who would serve
them; and their choice ultimately decides from which part of the country
the level leader emerges for that season. It is an insidious lynching of
our democracy for the PDP leadership to confer on themselves the powers
of political priests, anointing their pleasure at the shrine of loyalty
and pre-determined side of their induced divide.
-
Forced pains:
When a political party deceitfully
excludes some in its fold, who have had aspirations to run for elective
offices for the only reason that “it is not their turn,” unwarranted
pains are forced into our political circles. Human nature, being
inclined to the vengeful, will seek avenues for a pay back. When trust
and mutual respect and trust within a political party are thus eroded,
then the party gradually wilts away. If that party, like the PDP, is
running the affairs of government, that nation is bound to suffer the
misfortune of distraction occasioned by plots and counter plots by
wounded sons and daughters of such a party. A nation can never outgrow
the excellence of the party in power. Such is Nigeria’s tragedy at the
moment.
-
Façade projections:
The pretext to guarantee “fairness”
through rotation is just that— a pretext. A party such as the PDP, which
swears to the doctrine of political rotation, only serves the interest
of a mediocre few, who cannot compete. Such a party hides behind
rotation to hide the insecurity of some in their fold. Which
part of Nigeria can claim that the PDP-induced rotation has brought it
economic development? What economic or social benefits has Nigeria
reaped from political rotation? Have ethnic nationalities lived
harmoniously thereby? The recurrent Jos crises have happened since PDP
came into power in Nigeria. The MEND-induced attacks in the Niger Delta
have never been more persistent than since PDP got into power in 1999,
with all their political rotations, which now have enabled a Niger Delta
man to be the Acting President. The very sermons in justification of
political rotation by the PDP are being vitiated before our very eyes by
the facts.
-
Fake personalities:
What is the quality of the people
that PDP has been putting forward since 1999 as President, Governors,
legislators, and Local Government Chairmen? The personalities have been
greed-controlled and not service-driven. The collapse of public
infrastructure, public and personal security, and loss of public trust
in government and security agencies have rubbished the PDP-touted
doctrine of political rotation. The conclusion is that this doctrine has
not produced high quality leadership that Nigeria deserves. We must stop
this game in any way possible. It is an arrest of our senses to watch
PDP foist fake personalities upon us without end.
What I have said about
the PDP, I say to any political party in Nigeria which does not practice
true internal democracy. The emergence of political candidates for all our
political parties must be through a process which is difficult to impeach
through unbiased democratic tests. In fact, I call for a review of our
electoral laws, which must require primaries for the offices of President
and Governor at least, to be conducted state-by-state and local
government-by-local government, respectively, where all Nigerians can
register to vote whether they belong to those parties or are independents.
Candidates involved in the primaries must be made to campaign to be
scrutinized by the electorates. Such a process would glean and mature
candidates within the political climate of their political parties before
they venture out for an inter-party contest; the nation gains. 2011 is
not the turn of the North! 2011 is not the turn of any part of Nigeria! In
2011, Nigerians will prevail. We shall decide. 2011 is the turn of the
best that Nigerians will elect at all levels of public governance. We
shall return Nigeria to majority rule through majority votes at the polls.
Leonard Karshima
Shilgba is the President of the Nigeria Rally Movement (www.nigeriarally.org
) and Assistant Professor of Mathematics with the American University of
Nigeria.
TEL:
+234-8055024356; Email:
leonardshilgba@nigeriarally.org
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