2019: IBB, Obasanjo’s outbursts are anti-democratic

Former military President, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and his counterpart, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo have relentlessly expressed their respective opinions on the state of the nation vis-àvis the forthcoming presidential election. In their views, Babangida openly, but diplomatically advised President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw his interest for the 2019 election to enable younger generation take up the mantle, whilst on the other hand, Obasanjo punctured the performance of the present administration which he rated so low, and therefore vowed that President Buhari must go back to his house at the end of his first tenure to enable capable hands take up the challenges.

Incidentally, whilst Gen. Babangida’s views sound more patriotic, Obasanjo’s may not on account that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) he led as President for two tenures and was forcefully estopped from elongating his tenure to stay in power for third term recently zeroed the party’s 16 years in power and tendered apology to Nigerians over colossal failures of the party. It is also on record that Obasanjo after his failed third term bid imposed himself as the PDP’s chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) until overpowered by a stronger force and therefore cannot be exonerated from the party’s failures. It therefore implies that Obasanjo has no moral justification to advice a political party that is yet to complete a term in office. It is also irrational that the comparison of PDP and APC loans/debt profile didn’t distinguish them clearly as PDP’s loans were for consumption and payment of salaries while APC’s were strictly anchored on infrastructural development which is a conventional norm, and therefore inevitable for significant attainments.

Above all, the provisions of the 1999 constitution lays down the requirements for citizens aspiring to contest elective positions including the office of the President of the country. It is therefore antidemocratic to publicly charge any eligible citizens not to contest except communicated privately. The acceptable mechanism for determination of who occupies elective positions is the electorates’ votes through Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs). Interestingly, the use of card readers has drastically reduced the possibility of riggings and other manipulations that were in vogue in the past.

Thus, the appropriate and patriotic actions shouldn’t be to unnecessarily heat up the polity by public advices and advocacy. Democracy is a game of numbers, and therefore opens doors for any dick and harries to test acceptability, credibility, capability and integrity through elections. Participatory democracy opens doors for the electorates; high, middleclass and masses to freely choose their leaders and not for former presidents to decide as witnessed in the 16 years of PDP that put the nation in colossal retrogression. It is thus, absurd to openly mandate any aspirant to withdraw from a race contrary to constitutional provisions which connotes inferiority complex. Presently, over a hundred political parties have been registered; hence mobilization alongside sensitization is the key. Carl Umegboro, Abuja.