‘Celebrating’ Democracy 2020

Whether or not it’s appropriate to say that Nigerians “celebrated” another Democracy Day on June 12th 2020 is debatable. Agreed, there was no merriment, but celebrations don’t necessarily imply enjoyment. There are three broad categories of celebrations. Firstly, acknowledging a significant or happy day or event, with a social gathering or enjoyable activity. Secondly, publicly […]

Whether or not it’s appropriate to say that Nigerians “celebrated” another Democracy Day on June 12th 2020 is debatable.

Agreed, there was no merriment, but celebrations don’t necessarily imply enjoyment.

There are three broad categories of celebrations.

Firstly, acknowledging a significant or happy day or event, with a social gathering or enjoyable activity.

Secondly, publicly praising a person or event.

Thirdly, performing a ceremony for its own sake.

Nigeria’s Democracy Day falls into the third category in which there is no enjoyment, and neither no one nor nothing in particular is being honoured.

Originally, Democracy Day was May 29th, the significant date in 1999 on which democratic governance was re-instated.

When the date was altered to June 12th, it wasn’t made clear whether it was to celebrate the life of MKO Abiola, or the annulment of his election!

Nonetheless, the annual ritual of a public holiday and presidential broadcast is observed.

These days it’s difficult to fathom where presidential speech writers get their inspiration from.

They included the phrase “it is a day to honour our founding fathers” clearly confusing the occasion with Independence Day.

The bulk of the written address was predicated upon the statement that “I find it necessary to give an account of my stewardship on this day”.

This should not really be the purpose of Democracy Day speeches. The President outlined plans relating to the economy; agricultural and food security; Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and External Reserves; Cotton and Textiles Industries; non-oil exports; ease of doing business; mining and solid minerals; transportation and airports; Niger Delta development; affordable housing; insurgency and internal security; social investment programmes; and school feeding.

His claims that the rule of law, the legal rights of Nigerians, and freedom of the press are being observed have to be taken with a pinch of salt because Nigerians know better.

The President addressed almost everything except the state of the nation’s democracy.

It would serve the nation better if Democracy Day speeches actually concentrated on matters of democracy rather than economic policy and the need to render an account of stewardship.

The only reference to the plethora of political problems plaguing the nation was the astounding assertion that “Nigeria remains a shining example of democracy”!

The issue of the emasculation of local government and why citizens feel so little impact of governance wasn’t addressed, and no plans to make government more effective and responsible to the aspirations of the people were outlined.

There were no comments as to the reason why so few Nigerians bother to participate in the electoral process as evidenced by routine low voter turnout and millions of uncollected permanent voter’s cards (PVC’s).

There was no exhorting Nigerians to stop believing that their votes mean nothing, nor assuring them that voting is worth their while and in their best interests.

There was no mention of the urgent need to reduce the astronomical costs of sustaining democratic institutions and a bicameral legislature.

Nothing was said about the outrageously expensive price of nomination forms which precludes honest medium income citizens from participating in politics.

Financial hurdles have created a game of musical chairs in which only those who have benefitted from government office or patronage can afford to contest elections.

Future generations will find it baffling that the same set of people were allowed to exercise such overwhelming influence over the nation’s affairs for such a long time.

There was no mention of the biggest problem of Nigerian democracy which is the serial inefficiency and incompetence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

As it stands, Nigeria’s electoral body inspires no confidence thanks to their habitual logistical problems, and the almost routine overturning of their proclaimed results by the courts.

Perhaps of far more significance than what the Democracy Day speech did or didn’t say concerning the nation’s democracy, was the fallout of the decision communicated to the country by All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders on that very day.

Rather than celebrate democracy, the party screening committee announced that current Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki had been disqualified from re-contesting due to irregularities in his credentials.

Governor Obaseki said that the decision was “unjust, sinful, illegal and a travesty of justice” perhaps aptly describing the state of the nation’s democracy.

The shenanigans within the ruling APC reflect Nigerian democracy more than any presidential speech.

On Democracy Day 2020, the question of how citizens are better off after 21 years of democratic rule wasn’t addressed.

The sad reality is that very few Nigerians are better off under democracy than they were under the military!

It’s been severally pointed out that under military rule, there was better internal security, the economy was better, levels of human rights abuses were not markedly higher, and there was respect for court orders.

Furthermore, the level of corruption hasn’t significantly reduced under democracy despite the much-hyped anti-corruption war.

Indeed there is little to celebrate.

A major reason why Nigeria’s progress under democracy is slow is that the nation’s political parties are a mish mash of strange bedfellows simply seeking access to political power.

Nigerian politicians are to some extent victims of their own success.

Once voted into power, they appear to lose their driving principle and very reason for existing.

They are adequately prepared for opposition and how to criticise, but inadequately prepared for governance.

The infighting within the highest levels of the APC hierarchy and lack of consistent policies from APC governors are evidence of such unpreparedness.

With respect to the Edo State election, the principle of party supremacy while commendable, is only applicable when the Party conforms to agreed philosophies, ideologies, principles and practices.

These are lacking in Nigerian political parties.

As a result, democracy has been reduced to its most simple denominator of holding elections to vote on people rather than on agreed policies.

Perhaps it would be helpful if in future, Democracy Day speeches focus on the progress or otherwise of our democracy and the relevance of our democratic institutions rather than rehashing manifesto or end of year type speeches.

Then perhaps one day there will be cause for merriment and enjoyment on June 12th not just hollow “celebration”.