20 UNBROKEN YEARS OF DEMOCRACY, Matters arising – The Kudos, the Knocks and the In-betweens
By Yomi Oyelami
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; Umaru Yar’adua, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and President Buhari
May 29, 2019 is an epoch-making date in the annals of Nigeria’s sociopolitical history as the day equals 20 years since May 29, 1999 when Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar handed over federal might to elected President Olusegun Obasanjo. The ‘nascent’ democracy as analysts will often label it in the early days is now 20!
From one duly-elected civilian to another, transition has occurred both at the central government and the federating units. Save for instances of sole administrator at the helms in Plateau and Ekiti states, there has been noindirect leadership occasioned by infraction or incursion of the men in khaki.
Every leader has been one ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’ true to Abraham Lincoln’s definition.
Party Affiliation
As at 1999, there were only three political parties – People’s Democratic Party (PDP), All People’s Party (APP) and Alliance for Democracy (AD). By 2003, the number of political parties had grown to 20 including All People’s Party (APP) which transformed to All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP). Since Nigeria practices multi-party democracy, several political parties have sprouted, many have withered, some are reborn, while few grow to national prominence. As at the last elections, there are 91 political parties. Ballot papers are getting longer and longer while political parties are getting fewer and fewer votes, how will this 20-year old democracy manage the proliferation of political parties?
INEC
Independent National Electoral Commission is as old as the fourth republic since it is the electoral umpire that has managed all the elections from 1999 till date. From Justice Ephraim Akpata to Sir Abel Guobadia, from Prof. Maurice Iwu to Prof. Attahiru Jega and current Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Commission has performed at varying level of success when judged from the public eye. But a question that has refused to leave the public lips is how independent is the Independent National Electoral Commission when it is funded by subvention from the executive arm? Is it not the classical example of he who pays the piper dictates the tune when the Chairman is appointed by executive fiat of the President?
Judiciary
The Judiciary is the only arm of the government that does not undergo an election. It has a well-entrenched system of introducing individuals into the bench and also procedures and process that guide the promotion of judicial officers. But the ‘last hope of the common man’ has not been immune from the common problems plaguing the country. Corruption, graft, and other sharp practices have also been found among members of the bench. Suspension, dismissal and other punitive measures are ways the body has tried to cleanse and purify itself.
The Judiciary undergoes a litmus test time and again, especially during the protracted election tribunal cases that go all the way to the Supreme Court. Will this ‘blind lady’ remain impartial? There are demands to create special courts to hear election cases, will these cases do better? Will the judges be special, too? Are they not the same ‘overworked’ judges that will answer the cases?
Local Government Autonomy
The third tier of government has been through a lot in this dispensation. From governors personally putting them in their pockets to not holding regular elections to governors selecting administrators in lieu of Chairmen to council bosses leading a part of the community and leaving miles away from where they govern, the local government has been through a lot. Thanks goodness, the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria has began a good work that is hoped will bring new lease of life to local government areas. When this starts in this new tenure, citizens will know the real character of their council bosses and be able to assess them on the basis of their actions and inactions. Time will tell what local government chairmen will come up with, excuses or results!
‘Executive’ Legislature
The case of legislature wanting to ‘usurp’ executive powers in the name of constituency projects is a major issue that has arisen these twenty years. Budget padding, sabotaging the executive arm, mace hijacking are new lingo in the dictionary of Nigeria’s democracy.
The principal role of legislature, apart from making laws, is oversight functions and ensure the executive is delivering the dividends of democracy (Nigerian word for government projects and policies). Nigerians require the legislature at both local and national levels to be up to their tasks, no competition but collaboration with other arms of government.
The task of building a nation really resides with the legislature. Nigerians want to see robust discussion on policies that will have long term impact on the nation. The ball is in your court, honourable and distinguished members of the 9th assembly. Take Nigeria to the next level!
These are matters arising for the new fourth republic, it is not exhaustive though! This new democratic experiment is the longest so far with democratic rule. It is hoped that this 20-year milestone will become 30, 40, 50 years so that Nigeria’s brand of democracy will become a hypothesis that can be applied in other African climes.
