Sowore: Rule of Law and Democracy in Discourse

The unfolding drama with Omoyele Sowore as a star actor has further increased the noise level of the rule of law in our democracy. So far, in this drama, memory and objectivity are the first casualties. Of course cheap populism and political correctness are the winners. But Lest we forget: here are some Godliness in some positive details: Sowore was the former Presidential Candidate of African Action Congress (AAC) party during April 2019 presidential elections.

That was a commendable, radical and revolutionary transformation from an activist/on line journalist to a budding state actor. I personally hailed his audacity to join the electoral process, by pushing for progressive ideas in mainstream politics. Instead of activism of the margin, though in his pre-election consultation Sowore consulted more the same conservative forces that included reactionary religious clerics and traditional rulers than with popular democratic forces like organized labour, women and youth organizations. That was of course his democratic choice.

It is now an open knowledge that scores of candidates contested for the historic presidential seat. Muhammdu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC, polled 15,191,847 votes to become the second two term elected President since constitutional rule in 1999. His main contender, Atiku Abubabakar of the Peoples Democratic Party got 11,264,977 votes to come second.

With abiding faith in the rules of electoral process, Contender Atiku Abubabakar followed the paths of the addictive aggrieved candidate Buhari of 2007 to 2011, commendably went as far as Supreme Court to invalidate the Buhari’s victory. In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court on Friday November 15th gave reasons for its October 30, 2019 decision in which it dismissed the appeal by the People’s Democratic Party’s Presidential candidate in the February election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his party against President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

That judgement closes the chapter of the 2019 presidential election in Nigeria’ election story. Sowore, came fifth with some 33,953 votes but reportedly ahead of other new entrants to the race like Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria, ANN, who polled 16,779, and Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Democratic Party, YPP, who garnered 21,886. And then devil in the details sets in. With inexplainable twisted faith in the rules of electoral process, Sowore gave a notice of a protest tagged #RevolutionNow”, which was scheduled for August 5, 2019, ostensibly “demanding better governance and improvement in the welfare of Nigerians as millions of people grapple with multidimensional poverty, often living on less than $2 a day”.

Precisely on July 29: Sowore announced a nationwide #RevolutionNow protest scheduled for August 5. On August 3rd he was arrested with court order for his detention for 45 days (as against 90 days) asked for by the DSS. Of course more devilish details between the time of his arrest and now had emerged with attendant outrage and passion depending on who the partisan is and his politics, which is democratic too. They include bail orders of some 100 million (reduced to 50 million) and the spectacular serial diatribes between Sowore’s lawyer, Femi Falana and the DSS. The anti-climax was On December 5, 2019, in which the court again reportedly set Sowore free having met his bail terms but again reportedly rearrested by DSS operatives at the court premises.

The point cannot be overstated that the rule of law is the foundation of democratic process as sanctioned by the 1999 constitution with its imperfections. Of course we can ask the questions: whose laws, which laws? But laws nonetheless!The point cannot be overstated that any citizen granted bail by any court deserves her liberty. This applies to Sowore too. However the point can also not be overemphasized that respect of rule of law and rules of electoral engagement is a duty for all citizens, politicians, voters, service men and women alike. Notwithstanding long period of military intervention, Nigeria has a rich democratic heritage.

This year marks marks two decades of uninterrupted civil rules. Nigeria remains the largest democracy in Sub-Sahara Africa. INEC reported that as many as 87 million voters registered for 2019 elections. That was almost the population of Egypt. That was almost twice the population of South Africa of 52 million people and three times the population of Ghana of 26 millions. Quantitatively, this is the 6th transition with 4th democratically elected President and second re-elected President.

Many thanks to President Buhari for declaring June 12th as the Nigeria’s real democracy Day making Nigeria to overcome the “the pettiness of one man” (to quote the Elderstatesman Edwin clerk) who arbitrarily declared May 29th as Democracy day in 1999 and by doing so removing the specter of June 12 1999 . If that singular free and fair election of 1993 had not been criminally annulled, we should be marking the 26th anniversary of democracy this year. Sadly it is regrettable that the long period of military rule had done so much damage to our democratic culture. Unlike in the past, elections have become unnecessary wars of attritions. It’s time we had a quality control of our democratic process.

We have achieved much in quantitative terms. It is now time to have quality democratic process. Authoritarianism has manifested itself in Nigeria through years of military rule marked by absence of debate, intimidation, disregard of civil rights, and non-chalance about due process and the rule of law, by both the state and non-state actors alike. We must therefore encourage a new Democratic culture that allows for unfettered abiding faith in democratic process. Sowore stretched democratic process to the limit, having lost elections only to call for feverish instant revolution (whatever it means to him).

If all contestants in all elections return to protests under what ever tag, (#revolution or #status quo) to realize the goals electorate had rejected at the polls, pray why do we need elections and election cycles?. Bernie Sanders is “a self-described democratic socialist and progressive, American politician. He ran during the 2016 elections. He failed to get the presidential ticket of the Democratic Party which Hilary Clinton won.

Nonetheless Sanders Bernie Sanders ran a progressive campaign against economic inequality in the USA, raised critical issues about “labor rights, supported universal and singlepayer healthcare, paid parental leave, tuition-free tertiary education” among others. Indeed he has written a book entitled “Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In” in which he documents how he had put progressive ideas in American conservative big business political space. The US Senator is already in the race again for Democratic Party ticket ahead of 2020 elections. He is not Organizing a silly misguided belated and diversionary Infantile #Revolution Now” protest. As a LP labour governorship candidate in Kwara state, I bear witness that with voters’ cards under the banner of OTOGE/ ODOPIN we had a revolution in Ilorin.

We democratically retrenched PDP’s almost two decades of one family/ one person dictatorship and bad governance. Which means all we need is abiding faith in democracy. Never again: no short cut to get people’s mandate than through the ballot. We must certainly ensure liberty for Sowore. But he ought to have been advised that having run for elections in 2019 and having lost, he should seek for people’s mandate in subsequent elections not in an “infantile disorder”.