Nigeria is an amalgam of disparate ethnic entities that are antagonistic of one another. It was Lord Frederick Lugard who wielded the Northern and Southern protectorates together without the consent of Nigerians. Nigerians were not consulted before the amalgamation. But,is Nigeria not a union of incompatible partners? Given our religious and ethnic diversities,we adopted the Federal system of government. But,are we practising true federalism? Has our federal system of government solved our problems of ethnic hatred and religious crisis? Like Kenya and Sudan,Nigeria is bedevilled by mutual ethnic distrust and religious crisis. Ethnic hatred and religious crisis are features of o our countrys chequered political history. They are the factors that have continued to undermine and weaken our national unity and cohesion. In the early 50s,the northern people threatened to sucede from Nigeria in their nine point programme. In 1963,Isaac Adaka Boro declared the Niger-Delta republic which was short-lived. The Biafra-Nigeria secessionist civil war raged between 1967 and 1970. And,the June 12,1993 presidential election imbroglio nearly caused the disintegration of Nigeria. Thankfully,now,we have been practising representative governance for fifteen unbroken years. Our country is still polarized along ethnic and religious lines,however. These ethnic and religious fissures rear their ugly heads during national elections. In order to eradicate ethnic distrust and enthrench unity in our country,we adopted federalism. It is believed that federalism will enable the minority cultural and tribal groups to develop at their own pace and in accordance with their cultural mores and verities. Again,our use of the federal character system and quota system is aimed at eliminating the feelings of alienations among the diverse people(s) of Nigeria. And,in the interest of national unity and political stability,members of the ruling PDP agreed that the six geopolitical zones in the country should take turns to produce the President of Nigeria. But,since President Jonathans emergence as our president in 2010 was circumstantial and by default and fiat,owing to the death of Alhaji Umaru Yaradua while in power. So,the north feels that is short changed. More so,President Jonathans victory at the presidential polls in 2011 irks some sectional groups to no end. It is an open secret that the north is with the mindset that the leadership of this country is their birthright. So,perhaps,there is a nexus between the occupation of the highes elective post in Nigeria by a South-South person and the Boko Harams insurgency in the north. Since President Goodluck Jonathan entered into the saddle of leadership,the Boko Haram insurgency in the north has increased in momentum. The north is now depredated. Human beings are being slaughtered like fowls in the north. The butchers of the north do not discriminate between Muslims and Christians when they embark on their killing spree. It is believed that Boko Haram members carry out those terrorist acts in order to portray the Jonathans administration as laid-back and inept,and,then,stampede him out of power. But,the stark fact is that if a northern Muslim becomes our president in 2015,he cannot exterminate the Boko Haram group easily. The group is becoming more audacious,daily. It is believed that the group has links to other terrorist groups,especially the ISIS. The Boko Haram group,which has imbibed the ideologies of the ISIS,is imitating the egregious and despicable doings of the group. The Boko Haram group is fighting to control areas that straddle the north-east of Nigeria and some part of Cameroun. Their flags are hoisted in Damboa and Gwoza towns. Like the Islamic fighters,they want to create caliphate in northern Nigeria. The battle between the Boko Haram and the Nigerian army is an asymmetrical war. So,it cannot be easily won. More so,there is evidence that moles have penetrated our security personnel that are tasked with flushing out Boko Haram group from their strong-holds. Our countrys inability to rout out the Boko Haram group in the north has negative implications for our coutry political stability. Not a few Nigerians are worried about the presence of the insurgents in the north as national elections will place take place next year. Can INEC conduct elections in an area that is devastated and marked by blood-letting? It is probable that any person who goes to a polling centre in Boko Haram controlled area will be attacked by the insurgents. Inconclusive elections and disenfrachisement can be grounds for calls for cancellation of a presidential election. This can be a recipe for political trouble,which can lead to outbreak of conflict in Nigeria.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 10:04:04 +0000
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