As the country trudges on to the 2019 elections, it has become more imperative to remind the political actors, gladiators, political parties and the electorate in particular, of the need to play politics in a manner that will ensure the survival of democracy in the country.
With less than 20 years of continuous democratic rule, Nigeria is a fledgling democratic federation that needs to lay good economic foundation for its democracy to thrive. Without good and thriving economy, availability of jobs opportunities, food security and development, democracy will not survive. This is why every Nigerian must allow democracy to thrive in the country.
In the last few months, there has been open, apparent and noticeable display of gross partisanship by state security institutions engaged to help the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure free and fair election. They were supposed to be impartial. But, international observers have indicated that the gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun States were far from free and fair as the security agents compromised their positions.
It is imperative for security agencies who are drafted to ensure peace at polling stations to ensure that their allegiance is to the state (Nigeria) and not to any political party, or president. The heavy deployment of security forces to intimidate political opponents in the Ekiti and Osun States gubernatorial elections has unpleasant implications in that it constricts people’s display of their democratic and constitutional rights. If anything, it has unpleasant implications for the future of democracy in the country.
The way and manner with which security agencies openly aided and abetted vote buying in Ekiti and Osun States gubernatorial elections is an indictment of the country’s security agencies and an indication that the security agencies may, by their conduct and partiality at the polling stations and collation centres, mar the conduct of the coming 2019 elections.
We reiterate that security agencies drafted to maintain order and peace at polling stations and at the collation centres must always remember that they are not there to support any political party or person. They must be impartial in all their duties and pronouncements. Everybody, including the security agencies must give room for democracy to survive and thrive in Nigeria.
Any impartiality on the part of the security agencies during the election and at the collation centres may throw the country into chaos and drive it down on the road to anarchy. This is a major reason why every person engaged to conduct the election or engaged at the collation centres must be impartial and be loyal only to Nigeria.
Whereas the loyalty of the state’s security institutions should be to the country and not to any individual or political party, the reported presence of all the service chiefs at the recent commencement of APC campaigns is indicative of their non neutrality in the current electoral process.
Corroborating our view of neutrality of the security agencies in the electoral process, the European Union Delegation to Nigeria made up of representatives from all its member states and the United States of America recently called on the security forces in Nigeria to avoid actions that would endanger free and fair elections next year. Rather than being partial, the delegation said the security agencies at the polls should exhibit impartial behaviour and ensure the provision of safe and secure environment for the exercise of democratic rights by the electorate.
With about 200 million in population, Nigeria is not only the most populous Black Country in the world; it is also the largest black democracy and the largest economy in Africa. All eyes are therefore on Nigeria as to how it will conduct its 2019 elections and the roles to be played by the country’s security institutions in the elections. Besides, the world is a global village and the outcome of Nigeria’s election will have implications for democracy in Africa because whatever happens in Nigeria has a way of reverberating round Africa. The caution given by the European Union delegation and the U.S. is therefore instructive and timely.
Going forward to the 2019 elections, the benefits of history should not be lost on all Nigerians, the political actors and the security agencies in particular. Nigerians must remember how the First and Second Republics ended following the excesses of political actors and abuse of institutions of governance, among others. Free and fair elections without manipulations will ensure that the country celebrates 20 years of unbroken democracy next year in peace.
With a thriving democracy, the country’s economy can continue to thrive and blossom. But, impartiality of INEC and the security agencies can engender chaos and disorderliness in the land and lead the country down the road to anarchy. This is why every stakeholder in the election must play his or her part well for democracy to thrive and for the economy of the country to grow.
