A Case For Political Order In Nigeria

One thing that has probably seemed odd in the political system of Nigeria is that some things we do are not always thought of as “politics”. There is therefore, some variation in the understanding of politics.

Thus, when we talk about office politics, campus politics, church politics, family, workplace politics and so on, we mean activities that fit into the definition of politics to enhance common decisions for groups of people.

But in the real sense of the word, politics, we often refer only to that kind that has to do with governance in the State. State in this sense refers to a country, such as Nigeria.

Democracy is widely seen as government by the majority, which can be christened “popular power” in accordance with the popular definition by its being “government of the people, for the people and by the people”.

Aristotle, in his “No friend to democracy”, said “democracy exists where the sovereign authority is composed of the poorer classes, not the owners of property”.

Democracy began and reached its peak in ancient Athens. With the decline of Athens, it automatically declined. Athenians held that a life deprived of direct involvement in rulership is without merit, for the citizens involvement in the exercise of sovereignty is the major business of life.

Democracy requires the consent of the governed, formal political equality, inalienable human rights, including the right to political participation, accountability of power to the governed and the rule of law.

This means strict adherence to the principle of equality as well as the rule of law.

The importance of equality is underlined by the tradition of filling offices by lot, the rotation of offices and the adoption of very short tenure to enable as many people as possible to take a turn or participate in holding offices.

Unfortunately, the concept of democracy has been bitterly abused or bastardised in Nigeria to this day. The players know about it but do not give a damn. They are in the least confused about the meaning of democracy and merely address themselves to the idea of popular power which sparks off criticisms and fear among the ruled and opponents.

The practice of democracy in Nigeria has become merely the formation of multiparty for electoral competition rather than adopting the doctrines and theories which are regarded as the classics of liberal democracy.

The founding fathers of Nigeria’s democracy took the momentous historical step of challenging the consensus on the meaning of democracy instead of merely denouncing democracy as being done by the present crop of politicians who use it harmfully.

In Nigeria, democracy has in some degree been reduced to an ideological representation without well internalised realities and serious considerations. There is little or no political order in the Nigerian system. What we have is political disorder.

According to Thomas Hobbes, human nature demands political order, for humans are irresistibly egotistical. For Nigerian politicians, their existence is a continuous striving for the satisfaction of an endless stream of desires, a striving that ends only in death.

The current situation in the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is putting the country’s democracy in question. The crisis in the party is a crisis in democracy. Democracy is the unifying discourse which is supposed to tame national and international politics to foster peaceful co-existence in a country.

It has been globalised to the point that it is no longer threatening to the political elites around the world, but unfortunately, Nigerian politicians have trivialised it and do not embrace it the way it should be. People no longer enjoy political legitimacy without being subjected to the notorious inconveniences of its practice.

The leadership of the PDP in collaboration with the government should concentrate on improving the economic activities of the country, create employment for the teeming unemployed graduates and skilled youths, and ensure the security of lives and properly of the citizenry while avoiding undue destructive issues that can only bring unnecessary consequences to the people.

Exerting or creating unnecessary authority with unacceptable rules obstruct development and cause division between states and people. We should try to exploit the available riches and opportunities at our disposals to better the situation of the country as well as create a synergy that would promote unity, freedom and peace.

Nigeria’s political problems are largely home-grown and blamed on the rulers. Our rulers rule by corruption, oppression and deceit. Despite Nigeria’s wealth, its citizenry are wallowing in abject poverty and hunger as a result of long neglect, inefficiency and unwise investments by the government.

The country is frighteningly lawless and blatantly corrupt with ethnic divisions and mistrust. Nigeria is seen and known to be playing a positive role in African affairs, and, perhaps, in world affairs too, and  putting lots of energy and money into other countries affairs.

The country so dominates the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that this organisation would have been boneless without Nigeria. It is a member of the AU, Commonwealth, Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) as well as the UN, and is active in a unique sample of international organisation.

Though the country’s political and economic problems are largely home-grown, the colonial past bear some responsibilities, but  receding ones. The military era were controlled by rulers without political experience or with minimal experience of governance and precarious authority.

Their authority was personal, derived from charisma or rank, so that the choice for the people, so far as they had a choice, lay between the demagogue and the general. Some were good, some were bad,  but all lacked systematic political backing.

They were obliged, therefore, to rely on their wits or swords. The natural outcome of any regime without focus becomes either an entrenched tyranny or constant shifts and instability while freedoms are curtailed or abused on the plea that the autocrat or the one party state would be more efficient.

But such regimes failed to deliver the goods. Industrial and commercial failure became the order of the day-roads and educational institutions decayed, and the health system deteriorated, with corruption at all levels and sectors thriving.

The instability of the Nigerian State and its disappointing performance are due to the kind of leader who power poverty, corruption and crime in swollen proportions. They indulge in u-conceived and ill-managed economic policies which produce crippling external debts.

This is against the principles of a strong economy, which is the prime element in political power and in the public glare, while economic weakness and inequality promote disorders.

The political independence and sovereignty of Nigeria had not been able to assuage the height of poverty plaguing the citizenry and remove dependence on other counties. The country’s trading system among other trading nations still suffers some barriers in tariffs and quotas as the economy weakens day by day, despite the fact that Nigeria has entered the international economy.

Worse still, the country’s economic ties with other nations are not properly protected due to the corrupt tendencies of our leaders.

Nigerian manufacturers are ill-equipped for international economic competition and they produce inelastic goods for which demand (except in the case of oil is less than world standards. The effects of economic recession is clearly marked on the faces of majority of the nation’s populace and there is desperate poverty, in some areas famine.

The rich are getting richer, while the poor soar in abject poverty. Governments at all levels have talked for decades about poverty eradication without implementing the policies.

The time is, therefore ripe for new measures to be devised principally

Shedie Okpara