Democracy is arguably characterized by the
people. It’s equally worth noting that election is peculiar to democracy. In
other words, any democratic system is required to embrace an electoral process.
In elections, the voters or electors are
presented with alternatives that they can choose among a number of proposals
designed to settle an issue of public concern. Hence, in such an exercise,
electors are expected to act as kingmakers. Elections are apparently central to
the existence stability and development of democracy.
On December 28, 1978, the leaders of the then
Nigeria’s five political parties issued a unanimous pledge to the nation, to
keep election free and fair. The leaders in question promised that their
leadership to the country would curb excesses in speech and behaviour by their
party members.
They further stated that they would
restrain their members from engaging in political thuggery and ensure that
nothing was done to disrupt the peace of any community where election is to be
conducted or upset the unity of the nationhood. Above all, they disclosed that
they would accept the verdict of the electorate in the elections which they
would help to make peaceful, free and fair.
Recalling the recent Nigerian
electioneering eras, even the blind could attest that several things are no
longer at ease as against what it used to be. The assertion that things have
fallen apart is not unconnected with the fact that practices to include but not
limited to thuggery, election rigging and vote buying are now the key
attributes of most elections. It becomes pathetic when realized that the
supposed kingmakers (electors) are the primary cause of the ongoing unfortunate
situation.
If the above perception is anything to go by,
then a sane person would wonder the reason a ‘kingmaker’ would partake in any
act targeted at rigging a scheduled election let alone indulging in such dirty
act as thuggery. It’s more baffling to acknowledge that those electors –
particularly the youth – who sell their birthright would stand to gain nothing,
not even reasonable cash.
Even
those who would not want to associate themselves with activities that could
lead to election rigging would prefer to act like mere onlookers as long as the
election lasts. Funnily enough, most of them would be present at the polling
unit just to engage in frivolous interactions like issues bordering on sports, emotional
relationship or what have you, and not to cast their votes. When scrutinized
further, you would observe that majority could not even boast of voter’s card.
Owing to the acknowledgement that
electors are ostensibly the kingmakers, the constitution of most countries
across the globe, which Nigeria’s isn’t exceptional, captioned a clause that
relates to ‘Vote of no-confidence’. The aforementioned term is a constitutional
matter that empowers the electorate, or the governed, to recall any elected
officer if found wanting or culpable.
In such case, the concerned electors are
required to act as a body by collectively endorsing a written document, stating
that they no longer have confidence in a particular elected official thus
ordering him/her to return home. This tool shows that the electors are meant to
be in charge, both in the pre and post– election eras.
It is as well worthy of note that the
teeming Nigerian electors have equally abused such a lofty democratic tool.
They are often marred by apathy when expected to act as one indivisible body,
thereby allowing themselves to be cajoled into a state of mockery by the
elected officers who they have chosen to worship.
The primary consignment of a lawmaker
is to air the collective view of his constituents in the Assembly. It suffices
to say that there is no tangible reason a legislator who does not have a
befitting constituency office would not be recalled by his/her constituents.
It is not anymore news that most of the
present lawmakers cannot boast of a constituency office in their various
constituencies let alone observing ‘Constituency briefing’ as a priority. Some
don’t even know the ward chairmen of their respective political parties; they
are invariably interested in acquiring such information when elections are by
the corner. Worse still, the affected electors would claim ignorance of the
injury they have incurred in the process.
This trending unwarranted and
mind-boggling attitude of most Nigerian electors has continued to rape the god-sent
democracy. The gravity of the unending rape is arguably colossal than we could
think of.
It is, therefore, needless to state
that rebranding the Nigeria’s electoral system is indeed long overdue. The
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) needs to start taking some
pertinent actions as regards the country’s electioneering activities. It ought
to be willing and ready to sanction any political party caught in any
anti-election acts, especially while a certain election is being awaited.
Above all, there’s a compelling need
to carry out an all-inclusive sensitization among these individuals known as
the electorate before the worst is witnessed.
It is equally high time the
governments at all levels introduced voter’s education into our various
schools’ curriculum. Think about it!
FDN Nwaozor
National Coordinator,
Right Thinkers Movement
_________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
+2348028608056
Twitter: @mediambassador
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