If the development of our democratic traditions and values depended on our present elected leaders, particularly those in the People Democratic Party, it would have been pronounced dead on arrival. In truth, it is virtually dead, if the events and developments of the last general elections are to be accurately captured by history. It may be expecting too much to believe that leaders who ride to power on the basis of their ability to bend, stretch or break party rules will respect the same rules when they apply them to others. Two of the biggest political parties have a lot to say in terms of their commitments to party rules, and the outcomes of such commitments, or their abuse. The CPC, in spite of the phenomenal popularity of its leader in the north, won only one State Governorship election, not in the northwest, not in the northeast, but in the middle belt, and even here, with a heavy push from the odious reputation of the incumbent governor. It paid very dearly for ignoring party grassroot feelings, and the selective application of party rules. The PDP which had long mastered the art of subverting the will and wishes of its rank file, left its mark all over the nation with skeletons of dashed dreams and bitter, popular candidates. It has more elected people than all the parties put together, and it has the same proportion of inherent capacity to subvert the basic principles of a democratic system.
The forthcoming governorship election in President Jonathan’s home State of Bayelsa is giving the PDP one more opportunity to show its contempt for intra-party democracy, as the Party of the powerful and the wealthy, not of the faithful rank-and-file. It is pitting the President, the leader of the self-acclaimed largest party in Africa against the entire internal democratic processes of the party. It is a predictable drama in which key players both play their roles, and make up elements of the plot as they wish. The goal is to determine who will fly the party’s flag. The plot involves desperate moves to impose the will of the President to make sure that the incumbent Governor does not run; as well as deft and clumsy manoeuvres to make sure he does. The audience is made up of citizens of the State and the rest of the nation, but it is showing little interest in a play whose end is fairly familiar.
Six months after an election which exposed the weaknesses of the Nigerian democratic process, and very little of its strengths, the governorship elections in five States are reminding the nation that our politicians and leaders have no intention of improving the electoral process. The most glaring evidence of this will be found in Bayelsa, where the President’s hand is all over the place in deciding who emerges flag bearer. The incumbent governor who appears to have crossed the barriers of forgiveness, has been literally on his knees begging for the flag. His colleagues, other governors from the zone, joined him on their’s at the Presidential Villa a few days ago. Many others have gone on their knees, literally, begging the Villa, as we say in Nigeria, to forgive and forget, and tamper justice with mercy. And we say in Nigeria as well, for where? The powerful will demonstrate their power, because that is the only way people will know they are powerful. Internal party rules on primaries, screening panels, appeals committees, party pressure groups and the wishes of the ordinary party members will in the end, merely endorse what the President wants. And he wants someone else, not Governor Sylva, and he is most likely to get who he wants. And whoever he wants will fly the flag and be declared winner.
And democracy will shrivel even further in the President’s own State. But it will not stop there. Bitter political fallouts will feed the simmering violence in the whole region. Losers will activate their latent armed supporters to resume hostilities. New frontiers will open, and old ones will be re-activated. The PDP would have lost another battle to enthrone rule of law and good governance. No one would ever know if Governor Sylva would have been preferred or rejected by genuine party delegates. No one will ever know what the citizens of Beyelsa really want. They may end up with the same governor, but after he has been robbed of all dignity and clout, if Sylva is allowed to run. Or they will end up with a new Governor who was made and manufactured in Abuja by the Presidency. He will not be their governor; certainly not in terms of being responsible and accountable to them.
The unfolding drama in Bayelsa is a painful reminder that the remote causes of much of the crises which attended the last general elections are still with us. Internal party rules are minor inconveniences which can and will be circumvented by those with power and money. INEC is powerless under law to stop parties from abusing their own rules relating to the emergence of party candidates. Party members watch as their wishes and preferences are brushed aside by people who have stolen their sovereignty. People who break party rules with impunity are hardly likely to respect basic electoral rules. So the democratic process suffers, and loses popular support as more and more Nigerians lose faith in a process which is supposed to give them powers to elect their representatives and leaders, but which makes them mere spectators.
Nigerians will watch what happens in Bayelsa with a disturbing indifference. Most people believe that the President will have his way. The people will have their choices made for them by leaders who have very little respect for them. Far from learning the appropriate lessons from the last elections, the nation appears ready to have them recreated. The PDP in particular appears to believe that it is the property of the leaders, and the preserve of power and wealth. It is showing no inclination towards improving internal democracy. Other parties such as the ACN are not much better, and show flashes of their own capacity to abuse the electoral process when they return 100% success at Local Government elections. Leaders who secure power though the subversion of the electoral process are not going to be eager to reform it. The salvation of the democratic process in Nigeria does not lie in the hands of our current leaders; and the elections in Bayelsa will only add insult to the injury which all Nigerians suffer when leaders deny them their right to elect leaders freely and fairly.
The forthcoming governorship election in President Jonathan’s home State of Bayelsa is giving the PDP one more opportunity to show its contempt for intra-party democracy, as the Party of the powerful and the wealthy, not of the faithful rank-and-file. It is pitting the President, the leader of the self-acclaimed largest party in Africa against the entire internal democratic processes of the party. It is a predictable drama in which key players both play their roles, and make up elements of the plot as they wish. The goal is to determine who will fly the party’s flag. The plot involves desperate moves to impose the will of the President to make sure that the incumbent Governor does not run; as well as deft and clumsy manoeuvres to make sure he does. The audience is made up of citizens of the State and the rest of the nation, but it is showing little interest in a play whose end is fairly familiar.
Six months after an election which exposed the weaknesses of the Nigerian democratic process, and very little of its strengths, the governorship elections in five States are reminding the nation that our politicians and leaders have no intention of improving the electoral process. The most glaring evidence of this will be found in Bayelsa, where the President’s hand is all over the place in deciding who emerges flag bearer. The incumbent governor who appears to have crossed the barriers of forgiveness, has been literally on his knees begging for the flag. His colleagues, other governors from the zone, joined him on their’s at the Presidential Villa a few days ago. Many others have gone on their knees, literally, begging the Villa, as we say in Nigeria, to forgive and forget, and tamper justice with mercy. And we say in Nigeria as well, for where? The powerful will demonstrate their power, because that is the only way people will know they are powerful. Internal party rules on primaries, screening panels, appeals committees, party pressure groups and the wishes of the ordinary party members will in the end, merely endorse what the President wants. And he wants someone else, not Governor Sylva, and he is most likely to get who he wants. And whoever he wants will fly the flag and be declared winner.
And democracy will shrivel even further in the President’s own State. But it will not stop there. Bitter political fallouts will feed the simmering violence in the whole region. Losers will activate their latent armed supporters to resume hostilities. New frontiers will open, and old ones will be re-activated. The PDP would have lost another battle to enthrone rule of law and good governance. No one would ever know if Governor Sylva would have been preferred or rejected by genuine party delegates. No one will ever know what the citizens of Beyelsa really want. They may end up with the same governor, but after he has been robbed of all dignity and clout, if Sylva is allowed to run. Or they will end up with a new Governor who was made and manufactured in Abuja by the Presidency. He will not be their governor; certainly not in terms of being responsible and accountable to them.
The unfolding drama in Bayelsa is a painful reminder that the remote causes of much of the crises which attended the last general elections are still with us. Internal party rules are minor inconveniences which can and will be circumvented by those with power and money. INEC is powerless under law to stop parties from abusing their own rules relating to the emergence of party candidates. Party members watch as their wishes and preferences are brushed aside by people who have stolen their sovereignty. People who break party rules with impunity are hardly likely to respect basic electoral rules. So the democratic process suffers, and loses popular support as more and more Nigerians lose faith in a process which is supposed to give them powers to elect their representatives and leaders, but which makes them mere spectators.
Nigerians will watch what happens in Bayelsa with a disturbing indifference. Most people believe that the President will have his way. The people will have their choices made for them by leaders who have very little respect for them. Far from learning the appropriate lessons from the last elections, the nation appears ready to have them recreated. The PDP in particular appears to believe that it is the property of the leaders, and the preserve of power and wealth. It is showing no inclination towards improving internal democracy. Other parties such as the ACN are not much better, and show flashes of their own capacity to abuse the electoral process when they return 100% success at Local Government elections. Leaders who secure power though the subversion of the electoral process are not going to be eager to reform it. The salvation of the democratic process in Nigeria does not lie in the hands of our current leaders; and the elections in Bayelsa will only add insult to the injury which all Nigerians suffer when leaders deny them their right to elect leaders freely and fairly.
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