On May 28, 2017, the eve of Democracy Day, a day Nigeria set aside to mark the country’s return to democratic rule, a landmark event in Lagos cast aspersion on the nobility of the nationwide celebration.
Armed political thugs had hijacked the conduct of councillorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress, billed for the 377 wards of Lagos State.
In the violence that rocked many councils, a death was recorded while many were hospitalised following severe injuries. Same day, prominent Lagos politician, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, detailed by his party to supervise the shadow elections, was beaten up and stripped by political hotheads.
This gale of violence swept through some council areas traditionally renowned for being politically tempestuous, such as Ejigbo, Mushin, Oshodi-Isolo, Agege and Amuwo-Odofin.
In the Shogunle area of Ishodi-Isolo, one Razaq Bello, a leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, was gunned down. He died before help arrived. He reportedly lost his life to a factional dispute within the drivers’ union, which streamed into the rivalries within the ruling APC of the Oshodi-Isolo area.
Scandalised by this occurrence and other political crises recorded in the run-up to the July 22 local government elections in the state, the Lagos State Government started out by placing an indefinite ban on the NURTW activities in the Oshodi-Isolo area with a stern warning that it would not hesitate to apply more strokes of its stick, should any further drift resurge. Lagos is being ruled by an APC administration.
Much as the prompt action of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in outlawing the lawless drivers’ union is commendable, it is, however, regrettable to note that the government has merely scratched the surface of a chronic sore, rather than apply the requisite medication.
It is on record that politicians in Lagos have always deployed the use of motor-park thugs, many of who make up the drivers’ unions, to achieve their political aims during campaigns and election proper.
While government could play out a novel act by re-organising public transportation and phasing out rickety commercial vehicles that dot the streets, the public should not be deluded into believing that the reign of terror at Oshodi-Isolo had no serious political undertone.
No doubt, the journey to the conduct of yet a local government election in Lagos had been linked to the OshodiIsolo mayhem, amid speculations that in the APC, getting acceptable candidates to bear the party’s flag in the coming council polls had been a tug of war. Politicians in the grassroots, according to reports, are particularly wrought over a feeling that their leaders at the top had a knack for imposing ‘unpopular’ candidates on them.
While a political party’s Constitution gives room for a consensus candidate to vie for an office on behalf of the party, it, at the same time, allows for a primary election to pick a popular candidate in the event of dispute.
That should ordinarily have been the path of honour for the Lagos APC leadership to tread at a time various forms of dissension were looming at the local level of its party, as a way of not just ensuring public peace, but also retaining the integrity of the ruling party.
In another breath, the crises in the Lagos APC have now been rationalised by the opposition to mean that getting the party’s ticket is like a goldmine because anybody who emerges candidate of the party is sure of victory, without thought of a final contest.
That is why members of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission should live up to their responsibilities by being independent of any influence from any politician or political party, to give credibility to the conduct of the council polls and to earn the respect of all the stakeholders in the coming local government elections.
In the same vein, the security agencies such as the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps should rise up to the occasion, by protecting lives, properties and the votes, through utmost vigilance and dedication.
IT IS ON RECORD THAT POLITICIANS IN LAGOS HAVE ALWAYS DEPLOYED THE USE OF MOTOR-PARK THUGS, MANY OF WHO MAKE UP THE DRIVERS’ UNIONS, TO ACHIEVE THEIR POLITICAL AIMS DURING CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTION PROPER
Though there had been pockets of crisis, so far, ahead of the coming council polls, such should not be a basis for further postponement of the voting exercise as disenfranchising the people at any level is akin to authoritarianism or forced rule, which runs against the spirit and letter of the Nigerian Constitution.
Indeed, there had been so many court verdicts across the states, which frowned at the constitution of caretaker committees or similar surrogate bodies for local government administrations, as the courts described the act as undemocratic and largely impractical.
The Lagos State authorities should, therefore, toe the right path, while ensuring adequate security, promoting fairness and playing supportive roles to ensure the successful conduct of the July 22 council polls.
