Are we building or destroying this democracy? The recent primaries by political parties to elect candidates for the February 14 and 28, 2015 elections, if nothing else, were eye openers on how politicians and party leaders can, when it suits them, sideline the rule of law, justice, equity, fairness and the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended). Globally, party primaries are the first processes that will enable the electorate elect those to govern them. That is why a lot of people argue that credible party primaries are as important as the general elections. This task must not only be credible but it must be seen to be so by rival parties. This is due to the fact that political parties are contesting for votes of the electorate and a flaw in congresses or conventions can be used against a rival party by other parties. In essence, if the process leading to the emergence of the candidate of a rival party was faulty, such a candidate cannot be credible and, therefore, must be rejected on election day by the electorate. That is the parameter used by politicians in the Western world. That is why parties in those climes are always careful about processes and candidates. Pitiably in Nigeria, parties do not look at means to an end. They always look at the end. The primaries held in the last few weeks – governorship, National Assembly and Houses of Assembly – were, in many instances, anything but credible. In fact, they fall below global standards. The conducts were against the spirit of democracy which practises fairness and inclusivity. There were widespread reports of clear disrespect for party members and the rule of law. Or how do Nigerians explain a situation in which the rules for conducting primaries were unknown to aspirants or changed at the last minute? Also, what sort of process would keep aspirants and delegates in the dark about venue for primaries? To worsen matters, what type of process would not allow aspirants to know or see the list of delegates until they get to the venue of the exercise? In many of the parties’ constitutions, there is a section with the title ‘Electoral Guidelines for Primary Elections’. It states that designated venue, date and time for primary elections SHALL (emphasis mine) be published and made known to members and aspirants, at least, seven days before the date of the election. Drafters of this section were not stupid. At least, the intention was to ensure that the process is made credible as much as possible. There is another section which states that list of delegates SHALL be made known to aspirants and party members. For anybody to seek to represent his party at any level, he must campaign and reveal his plans to members and delegates. Or how do you represent members who do not even know you or your plans? Also, the moment there is a court order stopping the process, it must be complied with until a higher court vacates the order. But, many of the primaries were conducted in flagrant disobedience of subsisting and binding orders of courts. Years ago, President Barack Obama of the United States (U.S.) referred to Nigeria as a country with strong individuals but weak institutions. Some government officials attacked him for the comments but is he not justified today when some governors wrote the list of delegates and kept it until the day of primaries? Why are we always sending the wrong signal to the outside world that the people do not matter in our own brand of democracy? Figures were computed to favour particular aspirants and, in many instances, wishes of delegates were subverted through the fraudulent allocation of votes. Do we have parties, in the real sense, in Nigeria? Brazenly, godfathers and some party leaders impose candidates with no iota of shame and they even boast about it that any aspirant who is not comfortable should go to court. They can say that because the judiciary has been compromised. In this country, everybody has a price. Decency has been thrown to the dogs. Anything goes and anybody who is not happy with imposition should go hug a transformer. Are we building or destroying this democracy? Look at what happened to Otunba Adegboyega Adefarati, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State? The son of the late governor of the Sunshine State, Chief Adebayo Adefarati, was a House of Representatives aspirant for Akoko South-West/East Federal Constituency in Ondo State. The party leaders had earlier announced the Oka-Akoko Town Hall as the designated venue for the primary election but on the day of the election, the venue was changed to a hall at the back of the house of an APC leader supporting another aspirant. At the point of voting, the delegates’ list was changed. Thugs also stormed the venue to ensure that anybody against the new arrangement was dealt with. The APC Publicity Secretary and Financial Secretary in the council, Ojo Felix and Mrs. Bukunmi Akeju, who protested that they were never part of the new arrangement, were beaten by the thugs and sent out of the venue. Now, a candidate has emerged and Adefarati has petitioned the Legislative Election Appeal Committee of the party but will anything come out of the petition? Your guess is as good as mine. What of Kogi West senatorial district primaries? Despite the fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared that no primary election took place at the official venue (the Kabba Township Stadium), some party leaders had announced a former member of the House of Representatives, Dino Melaye, as the APC candidate. In the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), impunity, during the primaries, did not rain, it poured. In Adamawa State, despite a court order, the party leadership announced the name of Malam Nuhu Ribadu as the governorship candidate. In the face of the law, only the House of Assembly primaries were held. A statement signed by all the governorship and National Assembly aspirants reads: “We are calling on the National Working Committee of the PDP to, as a matter of urgency, cancel the purported illegal primaries held in Abuja which is in contravention of court orders and to also organise and conduct the remaining primaries, being that of the National Assembly and Governorship as provided for in the law”. What of Anambra North senatorial district? On December 5, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, announced the decision of the National Working Committee (NWC) to postpone the primaries scheduled for December 6. This was because, among others, a day to the primaries, the Electoral Panel refused to provide the list of delegates for the exercise, refused to confirm the venue, refused to explain how delegates’ list was generated and refused to furnish aspirants with the list of Returning Officers. To ensure peace, election materials were kept in the custody of the state Police Commissioner, Hosea Karma. Despite these, a winner has been announced. Has Obama not been proven right now? In Bayelsa West senatorial district, Heineken Lokpobiri, a serving senator and an aspirant, was denied access into the venue. He said: “To my utter dismay and amazement, the only access road leading to the venue of the primary was effectively barricaded by a combined team of heavily-armed officers of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Army, purportedly deployed on the orders of the Governor of Bayelsa State. These officers prevented me and all the delegates accompanying me to the venue from accessing the venue of the primary. In my desperation to access the venue and participate in the primary, I called out my teaming supporters to come to my assistance and to witness this undemocratic and ugly development. When my supporters arrived in their numbers, they forced the barricade open and facilitated my entry. When I eventually gained entry along with statutory and official delegates, I saw some people counting ballot papers, indicating that voting had ended”. Now, there are two aspirants parading themselves as the candidates of the party. Can a party sink lower than this? Also look at the outcome of the Imo State governorship primaries? While the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, is already thanking delegates for electing him as the candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume has published votes obtained by the 28 aspirants, which has stopped Ihedioha’s victory dance. Now, the party in the South- East state is in turmoil. Ephesians 6:24 says “Peace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ IN SINCERITY” (emphasis mine). Many of our politicians claim that they love our democracy. Is it by mouth alone or in sincerity? With the outcome of the primaries, are they not enemies of our democracy? If you do not love this democracy (refusing to follow due process) but you want to eat ‘the good of the land’, are you not inviting trouble? Gabriel Akinadewo
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 10:33:27 +0000
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