Nigeria at 66: Refocusing political tradition for enhanced dividends of democracy

Politics, merely outlined, is the jostling and interaction between teams and people with the objective of acquiring and controlling the levers of presidency.

By whichever fashions, socialist or liberal democracy, the conduct of the sport of politics is guided by set guidelines and conventions. It is in addition to, performed inside the frameworks of philosophical or ideological foundations.

At each level in its political journey since independence in 1960, all of the variants of Nigeria’s political structure have been patterned after the western liberal fashions of democracy. It was the Westminster parliamentary system within the First Republic, 1960 to 1966 and, the presidential system from the Second Republic, 1979 to 1983, the still-born Third Republic, 1992 to 1993 by way of to the continuing Fourth Republic, 1999 to this point.

However, whereas Nigeria is, supposedly, practising the Western fashions of democracy, the nation’s variations have at all times been negatively tainted in ways in which make democracy look extra of a caricature of all its identified common options.

For one, political events in Nigeria are usually not as such, ideologically outlined. They are so amorphous and fluid that they’re nearly, solely completely different from one another by their names. This is the reason for what known as “decamping”, within the nation’s political parlance.

In retrospect, the First and Second Republics could be known as the golden eras within the nation’s political trajectory. The political events of the intervals, exhibited occasion self-discipline, focus and dedication in addition to, an overriding tradition of altruism.

For instance, Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Action Group (AG) of the First Republic and its successor, the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) within the Second Republic had been constructed on a modified variant of socialism with an area character. It was welfarism with cardinal deal with free training and poverty eradication.

The occasion’s members elected or appointed to public workplaces, strictly adhered to its ideology by faithfully implementing its enshrined insurance policies and programmes both as governors, ministers or parliamentarians. In authorities, the Free Education programme was the flag ship of the occasion’s socialist ideological thrust.

The Aminu Kano’s Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) within the First Republic and its reincarnation, People Redemption Party (PRP) within the Second Republic had been established on the unconventional ideological flank of emancipation of the lots, the “Talakawa” from age-old feudal repression.

In frameworks of the occasion’s socialist ideology, the PRP’s governors, late Abubakar Rimi and late Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, pursued radical and populist insurance policies and programmes in Kano and Kaduna states, respectively, within the Second Republic.

Ahmadu Bello’s Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) made no pretences about its conservative ideological bent which primarily centred on the mobilisation of individuals within the North and the projection of the area’s pursuits on the nationwide stage

Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s National Convention of Nigerian Citizens (NCN), later the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) within the First and Second Republics, respectively, projected the postures of a republican and a pan-Nigerian nationalist occasion. However, it was in apply primarily a regional occasion.

Besides the distinctive incidence of the 1951 cross-carpeting within the defunct Western Regional House, a watershed with devastating penalties on the nation’s historical past, political events within the First and Second Republics confirmed relative self-discipline that engendered stability. Incidents of defections weren’t as rampant and kooky as they’re achieved within the current occasions.

As a results of robust political events with disciplined membership, the defunct Western, Eastern and Northern regional governments of the First Republic constructed vibrant and self-reliant economies inside a brief area of time. It was groundnuts, cotton, hides and pores and skin within the North; cocoa within the West; rubber and oil palm within the East.

Nigerians equally skilled monumental developments in the course of the Second Republic, 1979 to 1983, as a result of tradition of self-discipline and single-minded dedication of the politicians of that interval to the duty of implementing the manifestos of their respective political events.

Among others, GNPP’s late governor Muhammed Goni of outdated Borno state; late Abubakar Rimi and Balarabe Musa of the PRP within the outdated Kano and outdated Kaduna states, respectively; late Lateef Jakande of Lagos state; late Pa Adekunle Ajasin of outdated Ondo state; late Sam Mbakwe within the outdated Imo state; late Shehu Kangiwa of outdated Sokoto state and Professor Ambrose Ali of the outdated Bendel state had been all governors of the Second Republic who bequeathed enduring legacies in infrastructure improvement.

Paradoxically, regardless of the stupendous monetary assets out there right this moment, our political events and politicians can’t maintain the candle to their predecessors. Instead of development, the nation appears to be on the reverse gear. The causes are usually not unconnected to the emergent nature of the political events and the characters of these driving political affairs.

Today, there are virtually no ideological strains of demarcations between the political events. Because, it’s only a matter of nomenclature or, identify change, a politician who jumped from one political occasion to a different would don’t have any difficulties or, issues of adaptation.

It is a destructive commmmentary that altruism isn’t any extra a motivation in politics. Rather, materials and all types of mundane, pecuniary objectives are the first motivations. Politics is seen as an entrepreneurship with profit-making because the propellant.

The evident lack of the weather of etiquettes and morality in politics, is, logically, one of many explanations for the breath-taking stage of corruption and the scorched earth battles fought by our legislators of their scramble for electoral victories.

Understandably, the politicians who’re reaping from the prevailing decadent order can be averse to any efforts at altering the established order. But, for self preservation and the superior good of the nation, that’s exactly what the current political class should do to avert a catastrophic doomsday.

One of the methods of effecting the wanted change is the enforcement of the extant constitutional provisions on defections. Sections 68(1) (g) and, 109(2), unambiguously stipulate that an elected legislator on the federal and states legislatures who needs to vary his or her political occasion, MUST must first, vacate his/her workplace.

Things can’t go on this fashion. Something should have to provide. Because, for so long as occasion politics is carried out in wilful disregard to laid-down guidelines and ethical obligations, for that lengthy, will the common advantages of democracy or, consultant governance proceed to elude our nation.

Sixty-six years after attaining independence and given all the essential assets out there, Nigeria ought to, ideally, have gone up a lot increased on the worldwide rankings of progress on all sides of human endeavours. This is particularly painful, in view of our expertise of having fun with an unbroken reign of democracy from 1999 to this point.

…Aghedo, Secretary, Forum of Nigerian Professionals within the UK