Nigeria, after independence from Britain in
October, 1960 has with the passage of time,
experimented with democracy and military
dictatorship. Although the military oligarchs
recorded a small success with a special
emphasis on infrastructural development, the
popular opinion was that their emergence, was
an encumbrance to the healthy evolution, of
Nigeria’s political landscape. In 1999, another
experiment in democracy began. This continues
up to now, in an atmosphere devoid of
refinement in all its ramifications. In other words,
there has been a consistent, monumental failure
of leadership and to a limited extent,
followership. Despite the humongous amount of
natural resources in the country, living standards
of most citizens continue to go from bad to
worse. Indeed, more and more people in every
nook and cranny of this country, are becoming
increasingly despondent due to poor governance.
Nigeria is only practising “monkey” democracy.
This unpleasant situation, is the root cause of
the widespread agitation for socio-political,
economic, and demographic transformation in
recent times. A lot of Nigerians of the Igbo
extraction, are even asking for secession, due to
what they refer to as marginalization including
other related reactionary complexes. The Yoruba
are more interested in regionalism or
restructuring of the country. The main philosophy
of this, is that every geo-political zone, should
control its destiny within the weak central
system. These agitations are the corollaries of
poor, insensitive political leadership. For peace
on a sustainable scale to reign supreme, the
leadership has to work for justice, fairness, and
equity. The electorate must be allowed to choose
their leaders without intimidation. But
unfortunately, electoral discipline remains alien to
the Nigerian political class, which has graduated
from the use of cutlasses and stones to heavy
weapons like AK-47 rifles and bombs
sometimes, with the aid of a helicopter during
electioneering campaigns and voting.
It is against this backdrop, that the idea of visa
restrictions by the United Kingdom and America,
for some glorified thugs masquerading as
politicians gains its importance.
The entirety of
the global community must come to our rescue.
The Nigerian political culture embedded in a
savagery of violence and blatant disregard for
human lives, is a severe embarrassment to
persons, even with the faintest idea of common
decency. In this country, the law of the jungle is
of the essence. Thus, for example, several civil
society groups in Nigeria claimed that at least 50
people were killed during the general elections in
February, 2019. This was confirmed by the
European Observers’ Mission in the country
between January and April, 2019. The findings of
the Nigeria International Election Observers’
Mission-an arm of the National Democratic
Institute (NDI) and the International Republican
Institute (IRI) corroborated this ugliness that
characterises the Nigerian brand of democratic
process. NDI and IRI are US-based NGOs.
Nigeria is a segment of the networked global
village. Therefore, its political leadership cannot
mischievously equate the interventionist policies
of Britain and the US with interference. The two
concepts are not the same. Every modern
country has to surrender facets of its sovereignty
to the larger world system in order to experience
peace and progress. The fear of UK and the US
with regard to travel restrictions, is the beginning
of political stability in our unprecedentedly
troubled Nigeria. Many top Nigerian politicians
including state governors and members of their
nuclear families have been barred from visiting
the above countries due to a wide range of
economic/financial and electoral infractions. In
addition, some senior officials of the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as
State Security Service (SSS) are already gnashing
their teeth because they have been stopped from
going to these two countries.
The US government
has assured ordinary Nigerians, that even the
children and spouses of such reckless politicians
would face deportation.
After polluting the Nigerian space, these
politicians are eager to go to Europe and
America among other developed nations to enjoy
their ill-gotten gains. What a crying shame! A
very warm salute to the UK for not just stopping
at the level of imposing travel restrictions on the
political class members, but seizing their assets
after prosecuting them within the confines of
international laws that bind humanity together. It
is a misapplication to reduce this development
to the level of an assault on Nigeria’s
sovereignty. It is a fact, that institutions or legal
frameworks are hardly respected by the powers
that be in this country.
In Nigeria, electoral process is about warfare.
The political actors are unrepentant
Machiavellians due to their immoral methods of
winning elections. Therefore, the efforts of UK
and the US to impose visa ban among other
restrictions on these “leaders”, are not an
exercise in anti-Nigerianisation but seeking
solutions. The governorship election of
September 19, in Edo State marked a new dawn
in Nigeria’s political history and culture. Contrary
to what happened in Kogi and Bayelsa States in
2019, the Edo election was free, fair, and
peaceful. Only a minimum amount of skirmishes
was recorded. No elections are completely
perfect in all climes and cultures.
Policemen, soldiers, and other categories of
security operatives exercised their duties within
the context of fine-grained professionalism. The
Nigerian political actors were forced willy-nilly to
conduct themselves in a civilized manner. The
central government also did not interfere in any
way.
The Independent National Electoral
Commission was absolutely terrific. It is
impossible for me to de-couple this fine
electoral behaviour in Edo State, from the fear of
UK and America. In fact, other developed
countries should also impose travel restrictions
on those reckless, stone age politicians. This
would enable them to begin to step back from
the edge of an abyss.
The ECOWAS leadership needs a lot of things to
learn from UK and America with respect to travel
restrictions including other sanctions. The
leaders of this sub-regional organization should
not just be interested in imposing sanctions
against those who stage a coup in their country.
There must be sanctions against the leadership
that is merely practising jaundiced democracy
through the lens of an electoral fraud-the root
cause of political unrest in Africa. It is the ethical
responsibility of the ECOWAS leaders, to hold
heads of national governments that have no
respect for democratic principles accountable. It
is immoral for the president of a West African
country who makes a mockery of democratic
process, to run to ECOWAS leaders for protection
when the military burst his bubble, often to the
admiration of the suffering masses.
It is very worrying, that the Conflict-Prevention
Framework adopted in 2008 by ECOWAS, is yet
to be used. There is a gulf between democracy
and civilian rule. In the case of the former, votes
of the electorate count. Consequently, a bad
leader can be removed from office after his first
term, as eligible voters are allowed to cast their
ballots without intimidation. Where is Nigeria on
the socio-political ladder? Therefore, it is thumbs
up for the US and UK for their invaluable
interventionist policies, very critical to the
emergence of a sophisticated democratic culture
in Nigeria.
Prof Ogundele is of Dept. of Archaeology
and Anthropology, University of Ibadan.
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