THAT INEC MAY SUCCEED IN 2023
Ayo Oyoze Baje writes that INEC needs the full support of all the stakeholders to conduct credible elections
“Nigerian politicians have over the years become more desperate and daring in taking and retaining power; more reckless and greedy in their use and abuse of power; and more intolerant of opposition, criticism and efforts at replacing them”
– (Electoral Reform Committee Report, 2008, Vol. 1: 19).
Free, fair, credible and peaceful elections that are of accepted standards form the firm and solid foundation on which to build the house of democracy, anywhere in the world. But sad to say, that here in Nigeria these belong to the realm of one’s fecund imagination; the surreal sphere, or sheer idealism. With an aberrant political structure, largely predicated on money and materialism, the centripetal force and push for political power is more to serve the greed and epicurean tastes of the average Nigerian politician than for the common good.
The political pendulum therefore, always swings towards the self rather than the state. And that explains one’s persisting worry about the search for good governance, anchored on sustainable economic progress in the national interest, which has remained an elusive rainbow, for decades, from one administration to another. Or how else can we explain that each presidential aspirant had to pay the humongous sum of N100m for the form of intention for the presidential ticket on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)? That of the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) went for N40m. You can imagine how many hungry Nigerians such huge sums could feed in this country, if only for a month!
Unfortunately, this development has been worsened by the recent act of political aspirants openly distributing pounds and dollars to party delegates.
So, what insulting message have these passed on to the average Nigerian citizen, who ranks as the world’s second-most impoverished person? What about those stewing in agony, worried over how to feed oneself and the famished family with the escalating food inflation? The answer is clearly obvious: Here in Nigeria, they (the political elite) do not care about us, as the late music megastar, Michael Jackson rightly rendered in his hit song of similar title. But there is more for us to worry about. That is where the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC) comes in.
If politics, or power-poaching to the seasoned political actors is all about how rotten rich you are, how are we going to have free and fair elections? If winning is not about the candidate’s people-oriented vision, policies and programs, his mental or professional capability and capacity, to solve the myriad of social, economic and infrastructural challenges that still bedevil the country, in the 21st century, how can we have elections of international standard?
It all means that the game and gambits to appropriate political power come 2023 is therefore going to be dirty, messy and Machiavellian. The prowling predators will muzzle the helpless preys; driven of course, by the jungle matrix of might-is- right! The lions and tigers are ready to browbeat the zebras and the hares. The shark, billfish and barracudas will freely feed on the brine shrimp, the daphnia and bloodworms. Try and imagine that bloody scenario. Am I sounding alarmist?
It is based on the imperative of having elections that throw up the people’s choice as the eventual winners that yours truly was the Guest Lecturer at the 2018 Independence Anniversary Lecture organized by Nigeria Peace Group (NPG) in Lagos. The topic was: ‘Panacea for Peaceful Elections in Nigeria- Evaluating the roles of Politicians, Citizens, Security personnel, INEC and the Civil Society’. The conclusion arrived at then was that INEC will continue to need the full support of all the stakeholders to succeed at the subsequent elections. And it is going to be more so, this time around in 2023 because the challenges are enormous.
For instance, whether you consider it as base sentiment or not, some concerned Nigerians are already questioning the morality, equity and justice of having an Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate – another Northerner taking over from the incumbent Muhammadu Buhari after his topsy-turvy eight years as the president. Or the possibility of an Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate clinching the post, he being a Yoruba after the eight years’ tenure of Yemi Osinbajo, his kinsman as the Vice President. They are asking about the position of the Ibo factor in the inequitable political equation of the Nigerian nation. Yet, there are other tension-soaking challenges for INEC.
With the insecurity monster still metamorphosing from Boko Haram terrorism, to banditry and killer herders, and rampaging into churches to take innocent souls, just how secure will the country be, before, during and after the 2023 general election?
Besides all these is the mass voter apathy of the Nigerian electorate, millions of whom have willy-nilly acquiesced to the erroneous notion that electoral results are often decided long before their votes are cast. So, they would rather take the insulting packages of snacks, indomie noodles, Ankara clothes and the pittance of N5,000 from the conscienceless politicians.
The way forward is for INEC to be firm on the issue of campaigns. The way and manner some politicians go about their smear campaigns couched with outright insults and innuendoes despite the several peace pacts signed give cause for concern. By leaving much of the substance of good governance to the base sentiments of religion and ethnicity it is obvious we may still be far from the Promised Land. Stiffer penalties must be meted out to all those involved in one electoral malfeasance or another. That will serve as a strong deterrent to other miscreants.
Baje writes from Lagos
