Politics
Nigerians Need To Restore Their Political Sovereignty – Don
As the 2023 general elections draw closer, the Nigerian electorate have been urged to prepare to exercise their political sovereignty by ensuring that they do not cede the power to decide who become their leaders to anyone else.
A lecturer in the Department of Political Science, University of Port Harcourt, Dr Emmanuel Wonah gave the charge in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt.
Wonah said it was not just important for the people to understand that political power belongs to them, but that they also exercise that power without being unduly influenced to surrender it or use it unwisely.
He therefore advised the electorate to scrutinize the candidates that are being put up for election by the various political parties with a view to determining the person that is best prepared to protect and promote their interest and giving their mandate accordingly.
“I think that the people should be able to understand that they have the political sovereignty. They’re the ones that need to decide”, he said, noting that, on the face of it, it was difficult to pick out the particular politician that can faithfully deliver on promise.
He said it was imperative for the people to engage the candidates and assess them on the basis of their antecedents in order to establish their capacity and commitment to the cause of the people.
“Given the crop of politicians we have now, it’s difficult to know who is the right politician to deliver us, but Nigerians should be able to look at politicians who have very good strategies. It is not about I’ll build houses, I’ll construct hospitals. They should ask them how they’re going to do it. What are the measures they will put in place to ensure that they achieve them”, he said, adding that “If they (the people) are satisfied with all that, then they can vote for that person and that is how we can begin to restore the political sovereignty of Nigerians”.
The university teacher accused the Nigerian political class of hijacking the political process with the introduction of too much money into the process thereby polluting the system and making it difficult for the people’s participation.
“How many Nigerians can afford the exorbitant amount except those who have been in the political circle and the fact that they have made fortunes from their former positions they occupied in the Nigerian political system? And that explains the fact that the state and its institutions have become means of enriching our political elite in this country”, he said.
Wonah lamented that selfishness and greed have continued to characterize the actions of those in the leadership cadre of the country, leaving the poor masses in misery and hopelessness.
“They do not have the interest of the people at heart, even though democracy is all about acting on the mandate of the people. Democracy is also about allowing the people to actually decide what should be in their own interest.
So, if people can afford to buy these forms because of the public offices they had occupied before, it simply means that there’s a group of people that have tenaciously held on to the political system in this country. Some of them have been past governors who had performed poorly in their different states; some of them have been ministers who have not done well; some of them are serving governors (and) if you look at what is happening in their states, it is nothing to write home about; what is happening in their states does not qualify them to vie for the presidency of this country, but because of what they think they will get and because of the impunity they’ve enjoyed in doing what they did in office or what they’re doing in office, they have the guts to say they’re going to vie for the office of president of this country”, he said.
According to the teacher of Political Science, democracy in Nigeria is still wobbling as much of the norms and standard practices that characterize the popular participatory form of government were yet to be allowed to be firmly entrenched in the country.
“I think that Democracy in Nigeria is yet to find its feet. The reason is that, in a democracy, it is expected that the people should exercise their political sovereignty in terms of deciding who should be their leaders. And again, Democracy abhors coercion, abhors undue influence. The people should be free to choose from among alternatives who should be their leader or the kind of political party they should belong to.
“And again, in a Democracy, there should be no encumbrances in terms of participation. The people are expected to participate in deciding who be their leaders”, he emphasized, maintaining that until political parties in the country are purged of discriminatory, unfair, unjust and inequitable practices, Democracy will continue to be a mirage in Nigeria.
By: Opaka Dokubo
The Tide source reports that Prof. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members of the party at the congress held on Saturday.
Other executive members are Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as Secretary, Alhaja Latifah Latifu, Women Leader and Mr A. Adeleke, elected as Youth Leader.
It was learnt that the congress, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan, was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, other security agencies and prominent members of the party.
The election was supervised by electoral committee members, among whom were Prince Diran Odeyemi, who served as Chairman, Hon. Awoniyi Tolulope, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Queen Stepheine Oyechere, Alhaji Yusuf Abidakun, Mr Olumide Aguda and Dr Phillips Adeniyi, who served as Secretary.
Prof. Akinoso, in his inaugural address, urged members of the party to set aside intra-party differences.
He advised them to concentrate their resources on the promotion of the party, saying, “The primary responsibilities of party executive members are to coordinate party activities, ensure harmony among members, and ensure party victory during general elections.
“Our immediate assignments are to key into INEC released 2027 general election time-tables. As directed by the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, our party e-membership registration starts next week. We must be fully involved and do a membership drive.
“A political party is only relevant and benefits its members if it wins the election. This is our goal. We should set aside intra-party differences; concentrate our resources towards the promotion of the party. We will make necessary consultations and dialogue to actualise this”.
President Tinubu disclosed this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.
He also disclosed that his administration had opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.
“There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.
“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.
“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So, don’t bombard me alone,” President Tinubu said.
The ruling party said the ADC had turned criticism of the APC-led administration into its operating manifesto instead of presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the party dismissed the ADC’s interpretation of a report presented at a policy dialogue organised by Agora Policy which suggested that the country’s poverty rate had risen from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
Mr Morka said the opposition party’s reaction to the report as a “damning verdict” on the government’s economic policies reflected either ignorance of economic realities or deliberate political mischief.
“The African Democratic Congress’ attempt to spin a recent report presented at the Agora Policy dialogue indicating a rise of poverty rate of 63 per cent from 49 per cent as a damning verdict on this administration’s economic policies speaks either to its shocking ignorance of economic policy or its wilful blindness to the justification for, and transformative impacts of, ongoing economic reforms,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that the report itself recognised the necessity of reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions in the economy.
According to him, the ADC had failed to present any credible alternative policy direction for Nigerians.
“Clearly, the ADC does not recognise itself as a political party. The ADC has not articulated a single alternative policy position or prescription of benefit to Nigerians. Condemning the APC and its policies has become its operating manifesto,” Mr Morka said.
He explained that major economic decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange windows, were necessary steps to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
Mr Morka said the subsidy regime had for years placed a heavy burden on public finances, consuming trillions of naira annually while encouraging corruption, fuel smuggling and inefficiencies in the system.
He added that the reforms had helped redirect national resources to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that economic reforms often come with short-term hardship but stressed that the measures were essential to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
“Economic reform is never cost-free anywhere in the world. The transient hardship experienced by Nigerians was an inevitable cost of reforms meant to build and guarantee a better future for all Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Morka maintained that the country’s economic outlook was already improving, citing recent growth figures and stronger external reserves.
“Our economy has rebounded and is expanding steadily. The country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, with foreign reserves now exceeding $50 billion,” he stated.
He also pointed to government initiatives designed to cushion the effects of economic adjustments on citizens, including cash transfer programmes, student loan schemes and the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce transportation costs.
Mr Morka reaffirmed that the APC-led administration would remain focused on rebuilding the economy and expanding social investments to support vulnerable Nigerians.