The Switch from Military rule to democracy
After being governed by the military for about 16 years, a transition from continuous military dictatorship and coup into democracy became fully acceptable in Nigeria. This turn saw former Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo elected as the first democratic president of the country. The switch seemed to be somewhat a system loaded with many advantages in the goodybag. Jubilation rocked the entire nation as there will be no more existence of harsh laws. It brought civilized ruling patterns such as fair hearing before punishments or the full access to basic human rights. People who intend to seek any leadership position will have to go through the civilized way of electoral processes and not overthrow or kill an already existing ruler.
As democracy emerged, its purpose had been smoothly in operation but by and by, some of the reasons why it was birthed started deteriorating and on a gradual process, corruption, violation of human rights, and hardship rose to unbearable extents. Nigerians were thrown into dilemma as certain policies tailored to inflict hardship, suffering, disease, starvation, and fear, became a norm.
The Electoral Fraud
The establishment of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 1998 was to aid the switching from military to democracy system of government. The body is responsible for organizing and supervising all elections in the country. These elections include legislative, gubernatorial, and presidential. The body had been in existence but in the form of having other names like the Electoral Commision of Nigeria (ECN), then the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON), that was the predecessor of the present INEC.
By and by, what could be explicitly decoded as foul play cropped its way into the electoral commission. Cabals now run the calculations, predicts the possible outcome of elections, forcefully places who they see fit for the position of a leader and forcefully does it by putting several systems under pressure.
Hostile and corrupt activities like including numerous underaged teenagers as eligible to vote while they do not qualify to do so, using thugs to cause problems before and on the day of the electoral process, hijacking of ballot box and papers on the way to the voting center by hired gun men and kidnappers, and bribing citizens to vote for less preferred candidates.
These acts are now prevailing and power is now abused and used to oppress every common man in the country.
Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s Speech on the Judicial Impact on the Country
Former president of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan elaborated more on the deteriorating rate at which judgements passed by judges on electoral matters sucks, and how it is affecting the country. Speaking at the 67th birthday party of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof. Mike Ozekhome in Abuja, he expressed concerns and went ahead to describe the situation as a cone being turned upside down.
These were his words:
“The way things are going in this country, especially listening to the judgments being given regarding political cases, we are beginning to see that democracy in Nigeria is like a cone that is being turned upside down”
“And if a cone is turned upside down it cannot be stable and at the slightest perturbation, it will fall. When I listened to some senior lawyers like Olisa Agbakoba making comments on some Supreme Court’s judgments, I felt very sad that the country has gotten to that level.”
“If our democracy will endure, people, both at the Bar and the Bench, should not be carried away by political influence. That is the only way we can stabilize the political process”.
“I know the lawyers enjoy it because after elections there is always an avalanche of litigation, because it is like Christmas for lawyers.”
“But in most other countries, people don’t go to court, but in Nigeria, pre-election matters and post-election matters fill all the courts and it does not give a good sign for democracy.”
“Comparing Nigeria to other African countries and those outside Africa, because I have been able to get involved in their electoral processes, it worries me.”
“Those who would have succeeded, their victory song will not last long, because we will all be victims. Where the court says a Ward Chairman can expel a National Chairman of a political party. This is not in line with natural justice. The law is to control human behavior and human behavior must follow how God created systems.”
“And, you cannot tell me that the Head of Department in a university, for example, can expel the Vice Chancellor. So, how can the Nigerian law tell me that a Ward Chairman can expel a national officer of a political party?”
“And, since that judgment has been given, as at today, it has created all kinds of instability in the party. PDP is in crisis because of that judgment. APC, at a time, was also in crisis because of that judgment”.
“I am not looking at it from a legal perspective, because I don’t know anything about the law. But when I look at how nature works, I have never seen a system where its sub-unit can discipline the top.”
“For the PDP exactly, in the constitution of the PDP, if you are a national officer, even your state cannot discipline you, not to talk about a Ward officer, who is not a member of the NEC, the National Executive Council”.
“And we are saying that a Ward Chairman of a party can suspend and expel the National Chairman of a political party. I am appealing to the Supreme Court to revisit their judgment, because that judgment has turned the cone upside down and the political process, the democracy, is wobbling.”
The country at this point is likened to be on a cross road with no specific clarity on the next decision. Most of the challenges experienced today were as a result of bad decisions, bad judgment and selfish interest of some individuals in the Nigerian politics and other sensitive sectors of the country.
