Political competition and armed violence
Since 1999 when the country embraced democracy, there have been assorted forms of social conflicts. These social conflicts have claimed many lives, and properties worth millions of dollars have been destroyed. These social conflicts now threaten national cohesion and survival of democracy. Throughout the entire nineteen years of democratic dispensation, the country has spent huge resources to ensure that there is peace and stability. When one looks at security challenges in the country, the only option available is to agree with the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, that “All is not well with Nigeria.” (see www.dailypost.ng accessed on 8 Sept 2018).
Election season is here again, and the season is characterised by political competition. The size and shape of political parties have swollen to 91 registered political parties by August 2018. According to reports, a total of 79 candidates will be contesting the 2019 presidential elections, 1803 candidates want to fill 109 senate seats, and 4548 candidates want to fill 350 House seats. A mad rush to serve or be served.
Political competition is allowed in a democracy, but it must be a healthy competition. “Nigerians are getting apprehensive daily over the likelihood of violence-prone general elections in 2019. The reason is wanton disturbances across the country. Nigeria has been experiencing increasing security challenges which appear to have defied solutions. Nigerians seem to have lost count of repeated promises and reassurances by the government on how to restore peace in society,” according to BusinessDay. (Rising violence and 2019 general elections, November 2, 2018)
Nigeria is a country that is blessed with amazing human and material resources, but ominously, the same country has become a stronghold of inequitable state policies, injustice, shameless corruption, poverty and social decay, where religiosity and ethnicity pervade every facet of the country’s life, and fundamentally, determines who gets what, when and how. To sum up, these social conflicts are functions of frustrations on the part of political thugs and disadvantaged religious and ethnic groups arising from failed expectations of governments at all levels-local, state and federal to deliver basic needs to citizens. However, the new dimension is the rise in the wave of extremism which is threatening the foundation on which the country was established.
Analysing these societal challenges, this writer remembers Sun Tzu, the Chinese Philosopher and warrior, who said, “there is no instance of a nation benefitting from a prolonged warfare. Both political and military objectives of fighting the war may not be achieved if the war takes too long a time.” For developing nations at war, huge resources that would have added to their collective wealth have been used in procuring weapons. Nobody knows the quantity of small and light weapons that are exchanging hands daily in Nigeria.
“Arms Proliferation: Troops kill 35 criminals, arrest 98 suspects.”- Punch October 26, 2018, p12. The Defence Headquarters, Abuja, said it had launched an operation to curtail arms proliferation in the country noting that 35 criminals were killed by troops and 98 suspects arrested in two weeks. The report further states that “the Army Chief, Buratai said the Exercise Crocodile Smile would be followed by Exercise Python Dance in Preparations for the 2019 general elections.”
Hardly will a day go by without news about killings in one state or the other. The proliferation of arms before elections is a source of major concern. The worsening level of poverty has added a negative coloration to the security challenges in the country. Since most of our youths are not gainfully employed, they are easily recruited for violence during election season. Why, you may ask? It is because our politicians see ascension to power as a do-or-die affair, and they must win election at all cost. So, the solution is for politicians to acquire dangerous weapons to outwit each other. Politicians mobilize the pool of unemployed youths, often along ethnic, religious and party affiliations as vibrant political resource. In the process of fighting, security personnel are attacked. Regrettably, during security operations, the military suffers casualties, soldiers are killed in action, while others are injured. A pity!
Governance is about the welfare of the people and the political leaders must attain leadership through laid down praxis that is devoid of rancour and violence. It is common knowledge that governance cannot thrive in an atmosphere of violence. Criminal politics and political violence have made the delivery of democracy in Nigeria since independence an illusion. This can always be referred by the ever-rising numbers of political killings and outright embezzlement that spread through all geopolitical zones of the country. The guarantee by the government to provide security of lives and property is threatened daily as thugs also challenge state security apparatus. Some observers argue that the transition from military dictatorship to democratic governance has occurred in parallel with the upsurge in armed violence in Nigeria. This they say illustrates the close connection between political competition during elections, small and light weapons and election violence.
The security situation as it is today is very dicey and delicate. President Buhari was in Kaduna recently where he had discussions with political, religious and traditional leaders over the disturbance that claimed lives. The handling of the Shiítes’ crisis is also of grave concern to many observers as the country moves to election season. The situation if not well managed could lead to a second civil war which the country may not come out of in one piece. The level of kidnapping in the south, the bombings in the northern part of the country and the wave of gun running are pointers to the fact that “all is not well with Nigeria.” Politics of “bad belle” bitterness should be replaced with nationalistic politics. As 2019 approaches, we can only hope that our politicians will display patriotism. This writer joins the Sultan of Sokoto and other respected Nigerians to urge religious leaders to unite and preach against violence before, during and after the 2019 elections.
MA Johnson