Whilst he is combatting political acrobatics, strategically rehearsed and put into practice by Nigerian politicians since time immemorial, to rig elections, through the setting up of an Electoral Reform Commission, as pledged in his innaugural address last May… Yar’Adua is himself under scrutiny for a shady election victory, after shrieks of foul play from the opposition and claims from some international observers that the last elections did not meet international standards.
Whilst he is combatting political acrobatics, strategically rehearsed and put into practice by Nigerian politicians since time immemorial, to rig elections, through the setting up of an Electoral Reform Commission, as pledged in his innaugural address last May… Yar’Adua is himself under scrutiny for a shady election victory, after shrieks of foul play from the opposition and claims from some international observers that the last elections did not meet international standards.
Yar’Adua’s pledge for reform was not shelved to gather dust as could have been the case, in fact, he has been hailed for “taking the right steps” by many. His efforts, though, have been met with some misgivings which are not to be belittled. The prominent Bishop Fagun who reduced the set up of the Electoral Reform Committee to a mere ‘chasing of shadows’ brings the question of how election controversies have been deeply rooted in the Nigerian political sphere since its independence, to the fore.
The humble begining of electoral shadiness
A thought shared by Harold Smith, an Oxford graduate who lived in Nigeria before independence, when he suggests that the British manipulated elections were not so democratic afterall. He suggests that the British sought to steer Britain away from bankruptcy through its active involvement in carefully tailored electoral malpractices leading to independence in the mineral rich colony. Smith further backs this claim with an account of a verbal confrontation between himself and James Robertson, Governor General of Nigeria, who confirmed “ that everything you have alleged about the elections is correct…” Refering to Smith’s discovery of gross election malpractices in Nigeria’s final preparation towards independence.
Records of deals made between James Robertson and the leader of the NCNC, Nnamdi Azikiwe, still remain untouched in the British National Archives in London. They are expected to stay closed for another half century. It is only in their opening shall we understand the begining and nature of Nigerian elections. It could be a matter of learning from the past to change the future. The question to Bishop Fagun is : Is Nigeria to wait another 50 years? Or should Yar’Adua continue chasing shadows?
Let’s sacrifice… even if it’s me
“No matter the legislation, no matter the efforts we put at electoral reform, no matter the credibility of the electoral umpire, unless we, political leaders change our attitude towards election, we will continue to have problems” . Yar’Adua’s government is seeking to take the country through a political transition. And indeed, the idea of building and sustaining democratic renewal in a country where election history has been controversial will take more than the efforts of one politician.
His decision to set up a panel to review the country’s electoral process could be detrimental to his own political existence as he has openly acknowledged shortcomings in the 2007 elections following criticisms from both local and international observers condemning the elections as the worst in the country’s history. The opposition – represented by Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), as well as his Action Congress (AC) counterpart, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar – is challenging Yar’Adua’s election on the grounds of massive irregularities and exclusion and has filed an election petition against Mr. Yar’Adua’s election at the Nigeria court of Appeal.
From ‘Democrazy’ to Democracy
This democratic action, not forgetting the sheer opportunity to embark on it, is dramatically encouraging for a country that has undergone corrupt and dictatorship regimes. There is a genuine surprise in relation to Yar’Adua’s determination to make Nigeria a force to reckon with, not only in terms of economy but also in political credibility. His fight against corruption is yielding some results whilst his interest in reforming a ‘dubious’ electoral system that may have put him in power in the first place, seems genuine.
This law suit against his government and the headway it has made so far, proves a point, “displaying collective commitment towards national progress by laying a solid foundation for genuine democracy”, said in his own words.
Is this a subtle Mikhail Gorbachev case revisited? Are these reforms going to leave Yar’Adua no country to rule? Mikhail Gorbachev’s name is written all over Russian history and though Yar’Adua is quite a distance away yet from kicking himself out of office, one thing is certain, this gentleman should be given credit.
Nigeria, a great African country, slowly but surely, moves towards democracy from “democrazy” (a word used by the Ghanaian media).
