By Joseph Amaoru
So Nigerians think they are in a democracy! What is a democracy? In its simply and elementary form, a government of the people by the people and for the people.
Have the governments in Nigeria since 1999 been governments of the people by the people and for the people?
What instrument has been installing the various governments since 1999? The 1999 Constitution. Now, they say as amended. Was the 1999 Constitution, the people’s Constitution? The answer is a capital NO. It is a military Constitution that lied against the Nigerian people in the preamble by saying: We the People of the Federal Republic of Nigeria HAVING firmly and solemnly resolved:…………………………..
DO HEREBY MAKE, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES the following Constitution:
When did this happen? Most, if not all of those on this platform were adults in 1999. Did they witness this solemn declaration?
How were the candidates for various elective positions produced since 1999?
The beauty of democracy is participation and liberalism. While that of military governments are autocracy and secrecy.
In 1998, a few retired and serving senior military officers decided that they were going to handover government to civilians because of the pariah position the nation had attained due to a lot misadventure by the military like the judicial murder of Ken Saro Wiwa and the annulment of the June12, 1993 election,when General Abacha, the then Head of State suddenly died. But they had a retired general who was in prison as their choice. They arranged, pardoned him and cleaned him up to clinch the position of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They then arranged another civilian friend of theirs in another party against him and pronto we had an OBJ as President from 1999 to 2007.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo wanted to continue but because of a strong opposition he couldn’t. That was the Third Term Agenda. I shall not dwell on that. OBJ used his authority to foist on us the Yar’ Adua/Jonathan Presidency. That lasted between 2007 and 2015, with all the intrigues. When OBJ and his group became dissatisfied with President Jonathan they brought another retired general in the person of PMB.
The people of Nigeria have never been involved in the selection and nomination in the strictest sense of candidates for elective positions in Nigeria. At best the generals nominate, a select group of party officials approve and the Nigerian people are forced to ratify in the name of voting. So where is the liberalism? Rather what we have been experiencing is dictatorship. Baba sope. This skewed leadership recruitment process is replicated at all levels of government in Nigeria. Is that what we call democracy. Fela, described it in one of his songs, as the demonstration of craziness.
I do not think anyone is happy with our brand of democracy. It is replete with the vestiges of a military government. Can we really say the press is free with all the laws being planned, like, the Social Media Bill and the Prohibition of Hate Speech Bill. Can we practice democracy without a free press?
While I do not support the return of the military, I honestly do not also think we are practicing a democracy. At best we are in an undefined Civilian Rule masquerading as a democracy. Must we always adopt the American and Western attitudes and behavior? Right now we are in the Covid – 19 lockdown. While we are imitating their prescriptions, the results are different. While the people in America and Europe can afford to obey the stay at home, social and physical distancing instructions, people in Nigeria cannot. This is because the conditions precedent are different. In the West, social welfare is available to all, not so here. The living conditions allow for social and physical distancing there, not so here. This is because we live in crowded environments with very few social amenities. How do you tell people who live seven or more in a room to self isolate or social distance?
The Chinese do not practice western style democracy, and they are doing well. I am not sure the Russians do. The Cuban sure do not.
When the European first came here they relied on a forum of governance, called indirect rule. They used it for a while and decided to dismantle it when they had fully acquired power and foisted this democracy that is giving us trouble.
Today, if you mention, monarchy, it sounds like a taboo. But do you know that Britain is a monarchy? They call it Constitutional Monarchy. And Britain is not the only monarchy.
Nigerians have to take a critical look at what works for them rather than following prescriptions from outside.
There is so much work to be done. We are a communal people and our governance style must be a reflection of how we live. So why cant we have a Constitutional Communalism as a form of government that takes into consideration all our peculiarities as a people?
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