USA Africa Dialogue Series - 1999 to 2015: What is the scorecard of Nigeria’s democracy?

1999 to 2015: What is the scorecard of Nigeria's democracy?


By KAYODE KETEFE

Democracy is a system of government based on the principle of elective representation where, through the instrumentality of periodic voting, people choose their representatives for limited tenures. Countless centuries of mankind experimentations with myriads political systems have not yielded any better form(s) of government, at least not one that is as universally acclaimed. Democratic governance, therefore, scores higher than other systems like aristocracy, theocracy, plutocracy, monarchy, gerontocracy, militocracy and all other forms of 'cracies, and 'isms'.
So, when this so-called superior political engagement is entrenched in a socio-political clime, it is natural to expect realisations of some values reflecting the essence of human deepest cravings. These, ideally, should include civil freedoms and liberties, rule of law, egalitarianism, social justice and people empowerment via liberation from poverty and ignorance as well as ample opportunity for individual and collective pursuit of happiness. After all, these are the legitimate desires of the people and if they put in place a government to represent them, it is not asking too much to expect these ends to be the primary purpose of governance.
Having said this, the pertinent question here is how has Nigeria fared after 11 years of democracy? Answering this poser requires the employment of objective tests anchored on some human-focused criteria like the presence or otherwise of enhanced wealth, improved social conditions, attainment of economic growth, national industrial advancement and technical capability, achieving internal harmony and peace with a resultant enhanced standards of living and attainment of happiness.
Can anyone, I mean outside the establishment circle, claim there has been any authentic advancement in the standards of living of Nigerians since 1999? Is it not trite that a genuine democracy must yield dividends noticeable in the lives of the citizenry?
With fierce struggles inspired by the vision for a better tomorrow, we resisted the military and enthroned democracy, but that vision remains unrealised till today even in the reality of the full blown democracy we have nurtured for eleven years. The 1999 general elections were marred with irregularities, nay criminality, as the then Maurice Iwu-led INEC proved incapable of conducting a credible electoral process. Unscrupulous politicians had a field day as thuggery, ballot stuffing, votes doctoring and swapping and violence characterised the so-called general elections. Nonetheless we moved forward and those installed in offices promised to lay the foundation of a prosperous and lasting fourth republic. But instead of mass prosperity, we have aristocratic prosperity, the rich getting richer while the poor sink deeper into unmitigated morass of economic woes. Unconcerned, the ruling class engaged in their popular pastime, which of course is looting,
reckless looting!
Have we not lost count of the number former governors who had been convicted, not to talk of other public office holders? In 2003, people had another opportunity to invoke the powers of the ballot to flush out bad leaders, but alas, the politicians had by then consolidated their tenacious hold on the polity, and the balloting process was rendered ineffectual. Nobody can say to what extent the results returned by INEC represented the genuine wishes of the Nigerian electorates. What everybody knows is that massive rigging marred the exercise.
In the 2007 general elections, there was advancement- I mean in the negative of course, as the new methods of rigging were invented and wantonly employed, while all the usual vices were dutifully observed! No other single events tells the story more eloquently than the fact that late President Yar'Adua's election was saved by the narrowest of margin with ratio of four justices to three at the Supreme Court. Four justices upheld his election, while three nullified it and called for a fresh election within 90 days. Space will not permit a recount of many elections that had been upturned through judicial intervention.
Then we had the 2011 general election, the same old cry of incompetent handling and manipulation trailed the election. But the most disturbing aftermath was, of course, the post-election election violence culminating in dreadful, massive carnage across the North y by disgruntled elements protesting the outcome of the presidential election.
In a nutshell, democracy or no democracy, the people have been despair of authentic advancement in their quality of live. Electricity problem was not only unsolved, it worsened, what we have is infinite megawatts of lies! Social amenities are in moribund state. We moved from unemployment crisis to unemployment holocaust where stamped themselves to death just to write employment test! Criminality of all sorts' booms, hunger persists and people are disenchanted. Given Nigeria's experience, one is tempted to dare democracy and ask 'Democracy, where art thy much-vaunted power to transform lives? Any hope for a real (not artificial) change in the 2015 polls and beyond? Well, we shall continue to hope, or what do you think?

Ketefe may be followed on twitter @Ketesco

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