Is this politics or war? 

By Levi Obijiofor 

Friday, 6 April 2007 

I was asked recently by a curious but worried Australian student of Nigerian politics whether Nigeria was getting ready for a “do-or-die” war in April. The student could not understand why politicians are using the language of war ahead of national elections. Is this the way elections are conducted in your country, the student queried further. It is difficult not to see the point the student was trying to make. After nearly 47 years of political independence, we are still behaving like a nation of teenagers. At what age are we likely to conduct national elections in a more mature and less frightening manner? We baffle the rest of the world by the bizarre way we prepare for national elections. Do our political leaders care? Not at all.  

A foreigner observing the unfolding political events in Nigeria would probably conclude that we have literally turned the forthcoming elections into a theatre of war. Rather than engage in informed debate over issues, politicians are busy issuing threats to their opponents. Some politicians have gone a step further by sharpening machetes, loading their handguns, consulting native doctors to equip them with locally made body armour or amulets to save them from the evil plots of their enemies. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has added to the atmosphere of war. The public declaration by INEC that it would contest every court case instituted by political candidates and their political parties is not only bewildering but has also transformed INEC from the position of an umpire to that of a political contestant. Why should INEC throw itself into the wrestling arena when it ought not to be involved? By failing to control its adrenalin rush, INEC is now perceived by aggrieved politicians as the number one public enemy of the political process.  

Elections ought to be an opportunity for every Nigerian of voting age to send a strong message across to politicians at every level of government – federal, state and local council. If voters believe that some politicians who are qualified to contest elections have performed wonderfully well, then, by all means, voters should be given the opportunity to express their appreciation by extending the mandate given to those politicians, except of course in cases where certain politicians have served the maximum term stipulated in the constitution. If, however, voters feel that politicians and the party in power have achieved little or nothing, then voters have the obligation to dismiss the politicians through the ballot box. By voting out politicians through the ballot box, voters would be making a statement that they have had enough of the unfulfilled promises, and that they had decided to withdraw the mandate given to those unimpressive political leaders. Voters cannot be denied their natural right to participate in the political process. The right to vote is an inalienable right. It is also a fundamental human right of every citizen who wishes to participate in the process of electing political leaders.  

In countries that operate true democracies, elections are taken seriously but not as an act of war. At every election, voters are given the chance to deliver a report card on the performance record or indeed the failures of politicians. Nigerian voters now have another unique opportunity to assess the performance of politicians, particularly those who have been in office and also those who have not been in office. The underlying message is that elections are not conducted every year in Nigeria. In that regard, the opportunity to participate in the making of history should not be misused by all voters. Voters have an obligation to ensure that the report they write on every political candidate is not adulterated in any form or manipulated by desperate politicians and their parties. The forthcoming national elections are important in many ways. They will provide all voters with valuable opportunities to flex their muscles and to demonstrate that power actually rests with voters and not with politicians. In the next three to four weeks, Nigerian politicians will be pleading for your vote. The nature of our next government (at the federal and state levels) and the calibre of men and women who will be entrusted with the responsibility to manage national and state affairs will depend solely on how wisely voters use their power.  

Voters should not be conned by political rhetoric and vacuous promises. This is the time when politicians will promise to serve the people rather than be served by the people. It is the time when politicians will pledge to provide the basic needs of the people. It is the time when promises will be flowing fast, including promises to provide employment to the multitude of unemployed people, to refurbish all roads, to force all water taps to produce potable water again, to provide uninterrupted electricity to all homes and offices 24 hours a day, to equip all public hospitals with essential drugs and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, as well as fully qualified medical personnel. If voters are vigilant, they would notice that election time is the best time to distinguish between the false political prophets (those whose mouths are constantly gushing out pledges) and the quiet achievers. In politics, as experience has taught us, those who shout the loudest are more than likely to achieve little or nothing. This is not a fool-proof theory of how to determine political achievers but in general it provides us with an idea about the key characteristic elements of lousy politicians – the false prophets.  

As we approach national elections amid the drums of war sounding menacingly in the distance, we should be asking ourselves some serious questions about the way we do things in Nigeria. Why do we bluff our way round the world, proclaiming our power to achieve the impossible while, on the ground, we are incapable of performing the basic ritual of electing our political leaders in a civilised way? No nation should prepare for national elections as if a war is imminent. No nation should prepare for elections by allowing politicians the power to engage in a deliberate policy of assassinating political opponents. Democracy is about giving the people the free choice to elect their leaders. It is also about the freedom of everyone to contest elective positions.  

We live in a nation of contradictions. Every day armed robbers hold citizens hostage in their homes both in the day and at night. We are told the police can’t cope or that armed robbers have superior firepower. But look how many armoured vehicles and armed police we have assigned to patrol our streets and voting centres within a short period. Why are fully armed police men, women and officers stationed across our streets as if we are about to be invaded by gremlins from outer space? Why do we roll out armoured tanks and other weapons of war just so we can elect our leaders? Are we at war with ourselves or with our institutions? Will the presence of armoured tanks and fully armed police personnel make us behave more like adults than kids? The presence of armed security agents and armoured tanks suggests that we are incapable of conducting free and fair elections. When shall we demonstrate to the rest of the world that elections can actually take place in an atmosphere of candour and trust? While we are capable of amassing security agents and weapons in order to conduct elections, we are unable to provide the same level of security for everyone. 

We are a nation of “anything goes”. We believe we need laws to keep the nation going but we also believe we can break the laws and get away free. One of the greatest problems we have is that we are perpetually engaged in the politics of might is right. It is all about politics shorn of ethical behaviour. Politicians who know they have nothing to offer their constituencies believe that intimidation, threats and harassment would do the job for them on voting day. And they are probably right. Someone once said that politics is war by other means.