Naija Political Blog

As Nigeria prepares for the next presidential election in 2011, are we confident that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led government can produce free and fair elections? Since the 2003 and 2007 elections were clearly a charade, can we infer that the power brokers and god fathers of the ruling PDP, already know who the next president will be? Due to the absence of a strong and viable opposition, Nigeria has been reduced to a one party State by the PDP which controls all three branches of government in the country. Having stolen the last two presidential elections, can Nigerians truly expect free and elections in 2011? While one does not wish to be cynical, one is compelled to go by history and the history of the PDP in this regard had been a shameful one. Democracy they say is hard work and can sometimes be untidy. Even some of the great pillars of democracy like the United States and Great Britain have not had perfect elections in recent times. It would not be fair to expect a perfect election in a fledgling democracy like Nigeria. However, an outright theft of the people’s mandate like we witnessed in the last two presidential elections was beyond the pale and dealt a blow to the country’s image in the international system. It was a black eye for Nigeria and had cast a lingering aspersion on the legacy of former president Obasanjo. However, it should be pointed out that his reputation had been tarnished by various allegations of corruption and improprieties during his tenure in office. One thing undergraduate students of politics and government learn is that democracy cannot flourish in the absence of rule of law, a dynamic civil society, a strong opposition and progress on the economic front. These are the critical elements that have sustained the democratic traditions of Western Europe, Asia, South America and other regions of the world. While Nigeria can be said to be going through its democracy teething problems, it must work on attaining some of these elements albeit over a long period of time as a matter of democratic survival.

One of the unfortunate dynamics of politics in Nigeria and other developing countries is that people do not go into politics for reasons of public service. They generally do not go into politics to make a name for themselves by creating a positive legacy for the history books. This is almost a clash of cultures when compared to what is obtained in the west and other regions of the world. Take the United States for example, where powerful families like the Kennedys and others and organizations like the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) and the Republican National Committee (RNC), sponsor candidates to carry out their agenda which is generally geared towards public service and the public good. Barack Obama would not have become president without the backing of the Kennedy’s and others. Bill Clinton would not have become president without the backing of the Democratic Leadership Council. This is very much unlike what happens in Nigeria where power brokers or what we call god fathers only support candidates who will help to further their selfish and corrupt ambitions. They support candidates who can give them access to further wealth accumulation and power grabbing. Take the case of the former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, who was reported to have sponsored the candidacy of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua when he was running for office in 2007, in order to secure protection against prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which had built a huge case of corruption against him. This investment clearly paid off for him albeit temporarily as he was untouchable during the Yar’Adua administration. In fact, one of his staunchest supporters at the time was the former Attorney General under Mr. Yar’Adua who was fired when Goodluck Jonathan became acting President. This goes to show that the EFCC post Nuhu Ribadu is a joke. Take the case of former President Obasanjo, reported to have backed the late President’s run for office in 2007 not because Mr.
Yar’Adua was the best man for the job but for purely selfish motives. This backward phenomenon has greatly retarded Nigeria’s progress on many fronts. It is tragic that a country that is endowed with some of the most talented human resources in the world is being deprived of the type of leadership it deserves. The power brokers and god fathers with their western allies have continued to impose inept and visionless leaders on the populace. It is painful to watch countries like Brazil, India, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia to mention a few, who were in same stage of development as Nigeria just twenty years ago make very significant strides on the socio-economic and political fronts, while Nigeria has made very little progress in these areas. In fact, Brazil, India, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia amongst others are members of the G-20 which is a group of systemically important industrialized and developing nations. Why is Nigeria not a member of this group? Clearly for the reasons articulated above. It’s ok to be a power broker or god father. However, power brokers should use their wealth and influence to groom and support politicians who will promote public service and the public good so that Nigeria can take off like and join some of the countries indicated above on the right socio-economic and political trajectory.

Against all these background, one is hoping that the PDP would prove us wrong in 2011. We hope that President Goodluck Jonathan will follow-up through on his promise during his recent visit to the United States to make electoral reform a reality ahead of next year’s presidential election and put in place mechanisms that will ensure a free and free election. We hope that the dark days of electoral theft is a thing of the past.