Debates And Political Reforms In Nigeria

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Primaries which produced President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s flag bearer has literaly set the pace for a political revolution in Nigeria.

Days to the historic primaries, Nigerians were agitated as intrigues piled upon intrigues over the possible outcome of the primaries.

But a pre-election debate between the top contenders to the ruling party’s presidential flag, decided the outcome of the primaries.

The said debate also roused the sensitivity of Nigerian to a faltering ethos in the political system; debates and manifestoes, which were prominent features of political leadership by the founding fathers of Nigerian politics.

Analysts believe that the much touted politics of issues, which had long eluded the Nigerians spirit, can only be rekindled through a direct assessment of Nigerian political leaders on convincing terms rather than emotional consideration and undue political patronages.

The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), has also seized on the development to accord the Nigerian masses the chance of scrutinising their political leaders, and a wide spectrum of Nigerians consent to debates and manifestoes as a means of urging a stronger political will in the country.

The Nigerian Bar Association NBA, is one of the leading institutions that have adopted political debates as a platform of checking the emergence of political leadership in the country.

Commenting on the issue in a press statement recently the National President of NBA, Mr. Joseph Bodurin Danda, lamented the fact that Nigerian politics was not issue based and this has affected the quality of political leadership in the country.

The NBA chairman stated that, “Nigerians have a right to know what programmes our leaders seek in the executive and the probability of fulfillment anchored on solid economic principles”.

He added that, “politicians should rise beyond television jingles and come out boldly to tell the Nigerian masses what development plans and agenda they have for the country”. To achieve this objective the NBA chairman is counting on media partnership to cover a wide audience and make the quest for political leadership competitive. In the views of NBA as represented by its national leadership, civilised politics goes beyond mere filial affiliation, but strives on pragmatism, as it is not enough to just aspire to political offices without backing it up with laudable programmes and action plans.

As George Bernard Shaw once wrote; “Principles without programmes are platitudes”.

As part of the political reform process; political debates has once again offered to serve as the bulwark to political emancipation in the country”, said an analyst while embracing the political ideology of debates as a means of securing Nigeria’s political future.

He added that “politician can secure an edge in their political aspiration through a popular mandate and not through a tyranny of mere will”.

In the view of a senior lecturer in the department of history and diplomatic studies, University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Ben Nanen, Nigeria is ripe for a political revolution and its emerging political leaders must keep faith with the revolution to make real the promise of democracy in the country.

The renowned scholar noted that; “Nigeria can not continue to be a democracy on paper, and one that strives on self will”.

He further opined that, “a true leader must be inventive and visionary to pull larger followership”. He added that; “a good political philosophy outlines its inventor and liberates the society from political doldrums”.

Legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), O.C.J. Okocha, musing over Nigeria’s political development stated that; “political office seekers in Nigeria should embrace a competitive spirit and ascend political positions through the market ability of their credential”.

The former national president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), said; “the future of Nigerian democracy depend on Nigerians and not politicians, as the masses has the superior right to vote out through the ballot candidates who are bereft of people oriented programmes and policies”.

The National Coordinator, National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), Dr. Magnus Kpakol who spoke with The Tide, while participating in the just-concluded national voter registration exercise at his home town of B. Dere in Gokana Local Government Area, was also explicit in his assessment of Nigeria’s democratic future.

Kpakol said, “Nigerians have the determination to embrace change, and political office seekers must convince them of that change through their well laid out policies and programems”.

The NAPEP boss added that “President Jonathan has demonstrated enormous commitment to this change by promising an uninterrupted electrical process where the decision of Nigerians through the ballot will be sacrosanct”.

Analysts have further identified a dangerous shift of the Nigerian political system from civilized norms of politics,

They qualify the political process as uninspiring and a dumping ground for political escapades, and the untold consequences of these according to this political school of thought, is the sit fight comportment of most Nigerian politicians.

According to a public affairs analyst and political critic, Andrew Ajai, Nigerian politicians tend to give the least consideration to their post partisan life and so do not know when to bow out honourably.

Ajai’s point of view appear to draw inference from James Madison’s postulation that; “there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations”.

Every political transition is perhaps a period of political stock taking and an opportunity for political fauves and political parties alike to present their packages for the people.

Every election, according to Ajai, “poses a complaint and offers a remedy”. But he was swift to add that such remedy must come through alternative political therapy, mostly expected of the apposition to seize on the lapses of the ruling party.

He however regretted that opposition parties in Nigeria over the last political decade had been enmeshed in a progressive retardation in ideological challenges; “as they make themselves amenable to the ruling party for political compensations, appeasement and unnecessary compromise”.

According to Dr. George Ela, a medical practitioner; “governance should be considered a privilege and not an imposition on the people”.

Dr. Ela wants the example set by President Goodluck Jonathan, which earned him support on superior presentation in his pre-primaries debate to be extended to all tiers of government.

Recently, President Goodluck Jonathan, further demonstrated his political maturity and sportsmanship when in Ankara Turkey, he pledged to concede victory to the winner if he loses next April’s general elections.

The president assured that his being a candidate of the PDP would not influence his determination to ensure that the electoral process is treated on a level playing ground.

By staking his reputation to bring in a drastic change in the polity, President Jonathan has again demonstrated the spirit of statesmanship, and a conviction that Nigerian leaders must put the country ahead of their personal agenda.

However, the April polls will decode whether Nigeria will trail in the dust the chance of becoming a great nation.

Beemene Taneh