Social contract in Nigerian politics (1)
Social contract through Nigeria’s democratic process has grossly been overtly or covertly abused by those entrusted to be custodians of our collective social well-being. This observation virtually leaves no Nigerian out, nor does it absolve any Nigerian citizen of guilt because we are all involved and responsible in one way or the other (either as leaders or electorates). This, therefore, calls for a genuine repentance and sincere plea to the Almighty to pardon our inadequacies (consciously or ignorantly), and a total turnaround from such past wrongs for a glorious and prosperous political future with purposeful and sincere leadership.
Looking down the memory lane of our nation’s political struggles – from pre-independence through the First Republic, the military regimes up till the present Fourth Republic, our political malady is majorly infested with a corrupt process of the emergence of our leaders through either flawed or relatively fair elections at various stages and levels of the polling process. This observed negative virtue of our political life speaks volumes of lack of rule of law, abuse of due process, lack of internal democracy amongst most democratic bodies and political platforms who foist unpopular candidates (an effect of god-fatherism syndrome) on the society and the vulnerable electorate to accept, mostly carried out through intimidation, bribery, thuggery and diverse forms of falsification. This ultimately negates the importance, aims and purpose of democracy in any given society.
Whenever the electorates (the voters) enter into a social contract with the candidates (aspirants to political offices) during elections in a democracy, the basic expectations of the led from the leadership is good governance underpinned by a set of ethical principles in policy formulations for a sound, purposeful, proactive, people-oriented stewardship, which will bring succour to the yearnings and sufferings of the down-trodden citizenry. Surprisingly, the polity is virtually different from these basic expectations. In contrast, what manifests fully is the flagrant abuse and disregard of the status quo, where officeholders shift from delivering on their promises made to those who voted them in to self-serving activities and all forms of official misconduct and mismanagement of funds meant for public developmental projects that ought to have improved some aspects of the economy if properly channelled with transparency and accountability. Such breach of public trust leaves a bitter taste in the mouth because it adversely affects the nation’s economic prosperity and the social wellbeing of the masses whose mandates were supposedly stolen by moneybags at the polls to produce bad leaders that rule with impunity. Such bad leaders forget that their improper human thinking/action is being meted out to the same electorates whose hijacked votes empowered them with the supposed mandate/authority they hold on trust in a social contract.
I make bold to challenge most of the existing national political parties in the country for giving room to undemocratic procedural rules of the game. Internal democracy as enshrined in their respective party constitutions and manifestos is frequently and intentionally ignored through cutting corners, selection and violation of the due democratic process to conduct party primaries for aspirants who wish to fly their parties’ flags at inter-party elections. In most cases, selections are made to favour the very influential aspirants or the highest bidders (through lobbying of the party delegates). This singular corrupt, untoward principle completely violates the system’s laid-down democratic process and the general rules of the game. This particular fact is the major source or cause of political disputes and quarrels amongst aspirants, candidates and party members. The living example is the multitudes of intra-party and inter-party litigations, suits, appeals and petitions across the various parts of the country and at all levels of the judiciary (up to the apex court). The pain is that the amount of energy and funds spent in pursuing these legal disputes indirectly impacts negatively on the economy. We need to be wise by doing things aright and refrain from all appearances of undemocratic ways by retracing our steps.
The nation’s political umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), under Attahiru Jega will very soon conduct elections in Anambra State, where the governor has also proposed the council elections for the 21 local government areas. The election for the offices of councillors and council chairmen is expected to take place on October 5, while the gubernatorial election takes place on November 16, 2013. Various political platforms are warming up but a few are threatening to go to court and are questioning the rationale behind the state governor’s sudden preparedness to conduct the council elections just at the terminal point of his eight-year tenure. These two dates will soon put our nation’s democracy to test once again, with respect to the rating of our political advancement at the polls and also the respective commitments to public service by aspirants who will eventually emerge.
Political parties are urged to improve on the internal democratic procedures in electing their candidates, bearing in mind that the electorates exercise their franchise (on trust) by completely mortgaging and committing their care and wellbeing for the period in view once they cast their votes. These expected leaders are also reminded to remain focused and visionary, not derail from their good intentions when they come on board so that the electorates who are directly responsible for their emergence will also feel accomplished and justified. They should not forget that the same electorates can in turn remove them from office, through impeachment, should they fail to live up to their given mandate in this social contract. The electorates expect their leaders to make them feel the visible impact of good governance, not leaders who lose bearing and fumble without vision. This is the fruitful democracy dividend borne out of trust in a social contract between the electorate and the leadership. It is worthy of note that the very political machinery used by the incumbent in 2003 under the then national chairman and founder of APGA, Chekwas Okorie, is equally participating in the coming elections in Anambra State with a brand new political platform, the United Progressive Party (UPP) described as “an alternative political platform” to all the other parties. We watch to see the surprises ahead in light of the political turmoil/legal tussle that is presently ravaging the ruling APGA in the state.
Nwachukwu writes from Onitsha,
Anambra State.
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