Trust and postponement of elections

In fact, if we are to continue with environmental imageries, the more appropriate word to use is not erosion of trust but denudation of trust, confidence and faith in leadership. The people’s trust, which is so crucial to the success of many government’s programmes, projects and policies, has been so seriously denuded by governments over […]

In fact, if we are to continue with environmental imageries, the more appropriate word to use is not erosion of trust but denudation of trust, confidence and faith in leadership. The people’s trust, which is so crucial to the success of many government’s programmes, projects and policies, has been so seriously denuded by governments over the years because of broken promises, acts of deception and plain chicanery that the first instinct of many Nigerians is to disbelieve what they are told.
Cynicism has grown to such a dangerous level in our country that many compatriots view every step taken by government with a magnifying glass to see if they can detect self, clique, religious, regional, ethnic or party interest. They do not seem to think that any government in Nigeria is capable of taking any decision that is in the national interest at all. Many Nigerians have become past masters in the application of what lawyers call the ‘’language of languages’’ in the analysis of things namely, the ordinary meaning of what has been said, the perceived meaning and the intended meaning.
If cynicism was not at work, I am sure that the reason advanced by INEC would have been accepted as cogent enough. You may accuse me of being naïve about the ways of politicians and tending to readily believe them. But when I listened to the explanation by the INEC chairman who is widely known as a man who cannot be stampeded to do what is contrary to his honest belief, I agreed that if six weeks is what the security forces need to be able to flush out the insurgents and create a more conducive environment for the elections to take place in the North East, then the shift should be accepted in good faith.
What is more, the shift is still within the stipulated time acceptable by the Electoral Act. And the President himself has been compelled to declare to Nigerians that the May 29 handover date is sacrosanct. I therefore do not think that Nigerians have any serious cause to worry about the extension yet. The handshake has not gone beyond the elbow yet to pose any serious cause for concern. As things stand now whether the elections are held this month as earlier scheduled or in March and April as is now the case, it makes not much difference at all as whoever wins can only assume office on May 29.
It is only when there is an extension that will affect the handover date that alarm bells should begin to ring because the reasonable expectation then would be that such a development would confer advantage on those who are currently wielding power as they may be required to form an interim government.
As it is now, I do not think that there is any party which stands to gain any special advantage over the others. If the suspicion is that the shift is calculated to weary the opposition, I do not see how the ruling party would be spared such pains. As our people say in their proverb, the man who is forcing another to stand in the pouring rain does not cover himself with an umbrella. As the shift will compel the opposition parties to spend more money, expend more energy and release more tricks from their bags full of tricks, the ruling party will not sit idly by watching them. No, so will it also be required to canvass for the people’s support. For many stakeholders who regard this campaign season as their harvest season, a prolonged campaign period will pay them just better!
My thinking is that if the opposition is confident of victory, it should regard the shift in elections dates as merely postponing the evil day for the ruling party. For me, what is important and what Nigerians, especially those who aspire to lead or to be in government, need to spend their energies and intellectual resources on, is how to restore the confidence of the people in those who govern them. This is crucial. Government has been instituted to see to the affairs of men. It is not angels that have been entrusted with that task. Since it is necessary for humans to have a government, something must be done to ensure that the people and the government are on the same page at least on many issues. A two cannot walk together unless they agree.
Given what is happening in our country today, even if the candidate of the opposition parties wins, he or she is going to face the same sociological malady that Jonathan and other governments since Shagari have faced: citizens’ lack of trust, confidence and believability.
I think the last government we had in this country when there was some honour and respect for it was the first Obasanjo military administration of 1976-79. Since then, Nigerians have learnt not to believe their governments.
In those good old days in Nigeria even if a government made a public pronouncement in form of announcement of appointments into public offices and a genuine error was made, government was prepared to live with that mistake than reverse itself and look ridiculous in the eyes of the public and of the world. The story is told by those who know of how Mallam Adamu Ciroma who read Classics and who ought to have been appointed chief executive officer of the New Nigerian Newspapers Ltd., ended up as CBN Governor while Alhaji Aliko Mohammed, who read Economics and who ought rightly to have been appointed CBN Governor was instead sent to the Daily Times of Nigeria Plc. An error was made in the announcement but the military government of the day chose to allow what was announced to stay so government won’t lose face. That was a time government was concerned about honour and trust.
I believe that for the reason of security tendered, Nigerians should give the government the benefit of the doubt. I believe in the sincerity of the government’s position because come to look at it: the insurgents-infested areas also happen to be the main opposition party strongholds. Holding elections there now without the dislodging of the insurgents would lead to the disenfranchisement of many voters who would have voted against the PDP. If the party is more concerned about electoral gains, it would serve its interest better to have allowed the elections to hold now with the insurgents disrupting it to its advantage.