Towards A Better Democratic Culture In Nigeria
For many Nigerians, democracy in our land has not really lived up to its universally acclaimed status. Indeed, not quite a few people are of the view that democracy has failed the nation. So glaring is the failure and so painful are the betrayals of the true fathers of democracy in the country, some of whom had to pay the supreme price in order to ensure that democracy is deeply entrenched in our political culture.
In a land that is abundantly blessed with enormous resources and potential, it’s only a few that are connected to the powers that live in affluence while the majority wallows in abject poverty. Poverty, maternal deaths, unemployment, insecurity, corruption, electoral malpractices, unstable power supply, lack of good drinking water and poor road network, among others, have continued to be the blight of our beloved nation. In some states, workers are being owed salaries for months while pensioners suffer same fate, leading in some cases to needless deaths.
Considering all this, it becomes quite essential for one to take another look at Abraham Lincoln’s simple, concise and universally recognised definition of democracy as “the government of the people, by the people, and for the people”. Lincoln’s definition is a theory that emphasises the nitty-gritty of democracy, which is all about the people. Hence a democracy is built on the equality of the people; the freedom of these people to associate with one another for the realisation of their ideals and the defence, promotion of their interests, giving the freewill to citizens to exhibit their legitimate rights. It is, therefore, a system of government that is absolutely centered on the people.
The literal meaning of “democracy” comes from a combination of two Greek words, demos (people) and kratos (rule), and at its core is a concept that emphasises “democracy is a form of government in which the people rule”. The term originated in Athens and was a part of the standard classification of regime forms that distinguished rule by one (monarchy), several (aristocracy) and many (democracy). However, beyond the literal meaning, there have been considerable debates over the criteria that distinguish democracies from non-democracies.
It can be argued that democracy is a system of government that makes the opportunity to participate in the process of decision making open to all who are willing and interested. It is also a system of government that recognises individual rights, as well as a system of representation and electoral system based on the principle of one man one vote and one vote one value.
When the phrase “dividends of democracy” came in the nation’s political lexicon in 1999 after the termination of military rule, many did not realise its power to affect and infect the possibilities for political perception in Nigeria as well as Nigerians’ view of obligations and responsibilities in a democracy. Today, however, the phrase sits atop the hierarchy of politically significant and oftdeployed concepts; it enjoys the acceptance of pro-government propagandists and opposition intellectuals alike.
The unfolding democratic experience in Nigeria provides a practical theory of autocracy being craftily deployed along with other performances of power that bastardise or mimic the democratic concepts of popularity, consent, and public acceptance. The mix of these symbols have forced blackmail and insinuation which led elected officials to invent and reinvent ways of performing power that are a depressing throwback to military rule and one-party dictatorships.
When power is fully personalised as is gradually becoming the case in Nigeria, the result is that the destiny of the person of the leader and that of the state are conflated. And this is manifest not just in the occasional rhetorical outbursts of self-interested political officials, having at the back of our minds that absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Corruption constitutes one of the greatest challenges and threats to the consolidation of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. The incidence of corruption in the country reached a crescendo in 2004 when a German-based non-governmental organisation called Transparency International in its 2004 Corruption Perception Index(CPI) report projected Nigeria as the second most corrupt country in the world(132nd out of 133 countries surveyed).
The way forward is for the war on corruption to be pushed beyond political propaganda, nepotism, intimidation and witch-hunting of political opponents. Government must muster sufficient political will to punish any corrupt public officer, irrespective of his or her status in the society. In addition, legislation should be enacted by the National Assembly, stipulating stringent penalty for corruption related offences.
Also, aside tackling corruption headlong, our democracy must be able to guarantee all universally accepted norms of freedom. Democracy will not bear the expected dividends when voices of dissent are muzzled and government cannot be held accountable. Transparency in governance, freedom of expression, freedom of choice, respect for the rights of the minorities, and the legitimacy of opposition are among significant features of democracy. Therefore, everything must be done to ensure that these critical elements are well preserved in our democracy.
It is also important that the people, who in real essence are the embodiment of democracy, take control of the entire process. They must understand that democracy is not just about election. Most often, the electorate would go to sleep immediately after an election. But then, this is wrong. The people need to be alert and ensure that elected public officials do not take the electorate for granted.
The people must always insist on good governance while also putting on creative cap of self-empowerment. The family unit, social organisations, schools and colleges and the media must help people to overcome the shackles of helplessness in the face of our daunting problems.
Yes, it is true that our expectations are not really being met in terms of dividends of democracy. Nevertheless, our democratic setbacks may not yet entitle us to reject democracy altogether or to be receptive to non-democratic options. If democracy is working for other nations, it should for us. All we need to do is to play the game according to the rules and we shall get expected results.