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Since the off season took place in Osun State penultimate week, we have seen a lot of reactions. It has come in varied forms, some of them touching on the ridiculous. We will pinpoint some of them later as we go on. One fact we must take in and take very seriously would be the point that the Osun governorship election has provided us enough lessons to learn from if we are serious about planting the pillars of democracy in our country.
Some have spoken about creating our own model of democracy, President Goodluck Jonathan gathered few prominent Nigerians in Bauchi State, former military Head of state and also civilian president of this country General Olusegun Obasanjo were among the crowd who wanted some additions to the principles of democracy as run in our country currently. They pointed to many wrongs and insisted on the urgency of change.
Sometimes the challenge of change in our country includes the fact that those clamouring for change once were leaders who had the chance and power to effect the changes they now want urgently but failed to act as if they knew let alone making practical efforts to bring their lofty ideas and desires into reality. They became change agents after leaving office.
The past with the useful lessons they offer is good but talking about in manner suggestive of becoming victims and imprisoned by the old experiences is on acceptable. This is where for some of us what happened with the Osun election becomes useful. The President Bola Tinubu Thursday, August 20, when the winner of the poll, the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke came visiting Aso Rock the seat of national power said ” don’t rejoice you conquered people, you didn’t conquer anybody, you won an election, democracy won”.
The President is on record to have posted a call on the night of the declaration of results to Victor the governor during which he congratulated him. Presidential congratulations are normal, we have heard this severally but in most instances we know it was penned as press releases. This time the President had to call himself this act alone is enough to show the intensity of the “war” that passed for election.
So anyone near the president should tell him he was wrong on this score.The poll was never what it was supposed to be under a democratic system, it was war masked under the guise of practicing democracy. The President wanted Governor Adeleke “thrown away” from the exalted seat in ignominy . They worked towards it thereby muddling up democratic atmosphere that must exist if democracy is to keep its real meaning.
We won’t go into why the President and his party had to create a war situation. At least everyone knows the President has his ancestral root in the state, what should be paramount for us democratic watchdogs should be actions existent, activities before polls, during after. The electoral laws kept changing with a rapidity that troubled true Democrats.
No one should get anything wrong, rules can be altered that precisely why we have a parliament in place but changes to electoral process should be done in a manner parties have enough to to understand what they are getting into. The new electoral law requiring a computerised membership list which must be kept with the electoral body came very late, it created its fears and confusion. Mind you democracy is settled that its processes must be “fair, free and credible”.
When political parties would have to be stampeded just to meet a guideline that alone presupposes unfairness. Osun was close by and all that was happening in a frenzy. Till today no one is certain about the intentment.Remember Governor Adeleke was formerly a People’s Democratic party (PDP) before induced circumstances forced him at the last minute to defect to Accord party,a party of little if any significance. It was his card after efforts to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was blocked, while the party welcomed other governors and accepted them they refused Adeleke after he even came begging the President.
Other governors in droves took the mandate they got from another party and eloped into the ruling party APC. Until Osun happened elections can hardly be won if the President isn’t appeased. Our president has become a demigod that must be courted and sacrifices made. It is either you cross carpet with a mandate won on another platform which is terrible and anti-democratic or you stay in your party, but in heart and essence you have become a member of the ruling party.
You systematically destroy your party hoping to reap personal gains in the future. They all do, Peter Obi did, now Governor Chukwuma Soludo is doing the same and the President just did his and got results. Adeleke wasn’t allowed and that was because by every account firing was coming and his traduccers were certain he won’t survive the tsunami, weak party and the fact the President has a deep root in the state after tribalism was still a strong factor. The rampaging anti-democrats took away the funds accruing to the local governments. Masterstroke in emasculations.
None including us believed Governor Adeleke had sense. None thought he could fashion a defense such as we were later to see put on display in Osun on the day of the poll. An atmosphere of siege was created over the state. It was surprising the people still decided to damn the consequences to troop out to vote for a candidate of their choice. Those who created the atmosphere are part of the conquered people. Osun conquered them in the most spectacular fashion and this is the truth.
Our atmosphere should be convivial, suitable for living, work, and relaxation. It should be so at all times including days of election. Osun turned out to be something else. The number of security personnel was something else. Governors left their states to go do shenanigan jobs in another state, it got so ridiculous a fellow governor was down on another like a motor thug, it was disgusting. It was shameful parading a man said to be national chairman of the Accord Party as a late minute decampee, an act that should never be encouraged and here were national leaders doing so in full glee of international television services.
There is nothing wrong with democracy whether we imported it or not isn’t the issue. What the matter is, we are a democracy without democrats. Most players on the political scene don’t have what it takes to run in a democratic system. They can’t comprehend the principles. How can you operate what you don’t know? The Osun poll once again confirmed many of those who win our kind of elections won’t pass critical certification scrutiny.
Many didn’t go to school. There are lots who on this score had their kernels cracked for them by lesser criminals who run around the places writing exams for others. Many are just money miss roads. Big money made from rental ventures on public affairs. They are not manufacturers. This is the reason politics and particularly elections have become like wars. Politics has become a private business.
Every infringement on the political process is more often a deliberate act, a group of people gather and plan. Religious and tribal embers are deliberately provoked to gain undue advantage. People pay to hire thugs. Parties and candidates keep special funds for security personnel on election duties as well for electoral officials.
The big question is what is holding those in power from organizing all political parties and politician summits to tell themselves enough should be enough. Why has it become impossible for our governments to commit themselves to organizing elections that would be free,fair and credible. See what even governors do with local government polls. Isn’t it time we come to our senses and tell ourselves our bad attitude to the practice of democracy must stop. Poor democratic practice is at the root of the suffocating underdevelopment that has become a part of our culture.
The war in Osun was planned, someone conquered and another side became victims. The biggest beneficiaries are the Nigerian people who have come to a new realization that no matter “they have the sovereignty”. Politicians buy votes because they know the people still matter. We have just known that when the people resolve to take their place in the scheme of things, the few out of order people in our midst would lose their place. They will be flushed out.
