Thoughts on Democracy Day

Years back, we had the worst doomsday predictions (both from religious and diplomatic circles), inter and intra ethnic hate speeches, programmed ethnic documentaries and several write-ups from unbiased/ hack writers; all pointing to Nigeria as a failed state and as dangling on a dangerous and likely irretrievable cliff of our mountainous sovereignty.

The players were largely of disgruntled, angry ,and fellows with an incurable lust for power while their handlers, mostly of opportunists, hungry sycophants, suspected public treasury looters and uninformed or indifferent public dance precariously or ignorantly to the tune of some glutton-elites.

The lust for power of some of this elites; though with imaginary exceptions, who for long have customized public treasury was predicated not on service but on their ego, taste of power, ill earned lavish lifestyles (that can only be sustained and maintained by being in government), age-long ethnic and religious sentiments, and above all personal grudges against individuals.

As bitter as the opposition of that time was, the then ruling party’s image was severely and severally (at either little or no provocation) battered by intelligent forces under the willing sponsorship of the then opposition in and out of the shores of Nigeria.

As the blame game continued unabated, it took a more degenerating dimension on the internet, crippling our age- long value system, as many people; old and young, built and unleashed the most audacious anti-social manners which are contradictory to our cultural (old and modern) etiquette; gagging each other with unprintable abusive sentences in a manner showing mild or absolute disgust for the spirit of sportsmanship when in opposing sides’ of a divide while consequently escalating tension.

As divergent as we were, in our various divisions ,nature found us lucky to have a leader of convergent ideology, a rare breed of a cultured politician now being celebrated internationally; Dr. Jona- than ,the testimony of an impassioned be- lief in the processes toward a democratic society. His ideology invariably portrayed Nigerians as onerous in our zeal to live together despite our diverse political, religious, ethnic and personal convictions.

Despite the enormous powers in our militarily-doctored presidential system and the loopholes for abuse of power, which had been experimented years be- fore, he choose the honored path which was reflective in the free and fair elec- tions during his time that bear results always reflective of the will of the majority.

As hostile as the history of India/ Pakistan relations after the partition of British-India into India and Pakistan in 1947 and through the Kashmir conflict, as lucky they are to have the cricket game that unified the two nations who had erstwhile shared a common cricketing heritage. Dr. Jonathan’s character in during and post-election periods of 2015 signified the proverbial cricket in India/ Pakistan relations where it’s said in India that

“In India, it is respect for Gandhi and respect for cricket.” Jonathan entrenched

freedom of speech in law and as personal belief. Some people, though with unpatriotic orientations, violated Dr. Jonathan’s personality, policies and character through several and sustained verbal and writtenattacks but he ignored and allowed them but at times rendered apology or explanations as the case may warrant, though his sense of tolerance was ridiculed as a mark of weakness. Like Mahatma Gandhi’s Jain Pacifist teachings of mutual tolerance ,non-injury to living beings and vegetarianism, Dr Jonathan adhered strictly to the teachings except vegetarianism.

As we celebrate Democracy Day, I hope writers of history (both in public and private capacity) will not distort the positive tune of our nascent democracy which living and dead icons, heroes/heroines and martyrs like Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAM/ SAN (Senior Advocate of the Masses and of Nigeria who earned the epochal judgment that opened the democratic space delivered by Justice Uwais on November 8,2002.), Chief MKO Abiola (winner of the insignia of Democracy; June 12.), Gen. Abdusa- lami Abubakar GCFR (for handing power to an elected government.), Dr Goodluck Jonathan GCFR (for guaranteeing free and fair democratic processes with no blood spill), heroic political juggernauts like Chief Abraham Adesanya, Balarabe Musa, Sena- tor Bola Tinubu; Jagaban (for his legendary inter and intra-ribal political mobilization that made the fruition of APC and his en- during political wizardry), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR; Aremu-Oluwu (for ensur- ing a minority presidency in 2011) Former Senate President David Mark (for managing Nigeria’s most delicate constitutional crisis in 2010), heroines like Hon. Abike Dabir-Erewa (for introducing the Freedom of In- formation bill to guarantee transparency and accountability in governance.), Prof Dora Akunyili, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, social critics and human rights crusaders like Prof. Chinua Achebe, Fela Anikulapo Kuti (for his afro beat drums against military, oppression and corruption), Tunji Braithwaite, Prof Itse Sagay, Beko Ransome Kuti and his NADECO brothers, the Student Unionists( who stood against military regimes.), Bamidele Aturu, Chima Ubani, Pa Alfred Rewane, Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Five, heroes like Umaru Musa Yar’Adua GCFR (for accepting the flaw in the 2007 elections in which he was the high- est beneficiary), Shehu Musa Yar’Adua (for standing against the military) the media and the most indefatigable political aspirant in Nigeria’s political history, president Muham- madu Buhari GCFR (for relying on the elec- toral process for four consecutive times) have all set.

After I have conceptualized my thought process and built them into reasonable logic, cutting an esteemed comportment of one at peace with reason and conscience and against bias of whatever guise; whether of puerile argument of either logic or history, Dr Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan GCFR and Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi SAM/SAN were the good-lucks that saved and strengthened our democracy from politicians who almost foist a state- of-hopelessness on the polity and their noble efforts serve as our African model for inclusive politics of patriotism whose novelty is fundamental in the building of any democracy.

Iwilade writes from Lagos.