Is civil society folding its hands while democracy dies in Nigeria?

BY KENNETH OBASI EZE

Globally, the pillar on which democracy is cast is the principle of one man, one vote, in recent times this individual representation seems consigned to history.

Nigeria, despite boasting a large chunk of intellectuals was under the jackboots for most of her independence. Many can recall how scary military rule was in Nigeria, before few people chose to take the bull by the horn by championing mass movements, to liberate the country. Little wonder, the world rose in unity to celebrate the arrival of the government of the people, by the people and for the people in Nigeria in 1999. The likelihood of over 150m people scampering across the world in the event of war compelled the powers that be to rally in support of civil society to enthrone democracy in Nigeria.

The delicate balance between political power and the people is the civil society. Each time any part of the world comes under the siege of ruthless politicians, it is the civil society that saves the day.

So, why is the civil society turning deaf ears to the cry of longsuffering Nigerians at this time?

Wole Soyinka in what sounds like an apparent reference to the present state of affairs noted in ‘The Man Died: Prison Notes of Wole Soyinka’, that “the man dies in all who keep silence in the face of tyranny.”

The way political gladiators, even those who rode to power on the strength of being social crusaders, have been raping democracy has left discerning and concerned people around the world wondering if the politicians have forgotten how they got there.

Happenings at Edo State capture the above scenario succinctly.

It is absurd that those who should be behind bars are at the forefront of partisan politics in Nigeria. What do the politicians take the citizens for?

Why do Nigerian laws allow those standing trials muscle their way to political positions as a tool to frustrate prosecution? This ought to be engaging the attention of the civil society, if democracy must survive in Nigeria.

Leaving the country at the mercy of godfathers and their criminal cronies is an ill- wind that blows nobody any good.

Knowing that a stitch in time saves nine, and that those who keep silent in the face of oppression are actually taking sides with the oppressor, means that now is the time for activists to rise up and save democracy in Nigeria.

I feel for the people of Edo State.

The enviable history of the Benin Kingdom is being ridiculed and desecrated upon by political rascals. How does it feel being an ordinary citizen of Edo State or indeed those other states where democracy have been so raped?

If a citizen has been investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission with the matter pending before a court of competent jurisdiction, yet the same people who presupposed him guilty, and approached the court for adjudication, look at the entire citizenry and claim, ‘this is the only one who can be your governor’, does it bode well? It only goes to show the kind of love and respect the politicians have for the citizenry.

And this is not limited to Edo State.

This is why I am worried that the civil society are unable to realize themselves as being in the open prison of corrupt politicians in Nigeria.

Who can guarantee free and fair elections in Edo Sate come September 19, 2020? The people are crying for freedom, but their voices are not being heard. The voice of the people is being stifled by the hullabaloo of empty-vessel political slave- masters. How long this is going to succeed, is only a question of conjecture.

Juxtaposing the campaign propositions of 2016 and 2019, leaves Edo voters with a simple choice to make. Retaining the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki, at least promises that it is the people making their choice, not an individual imposing and deposing governors at will. The question must be asked, ‘Is Edo State an individual’s estate?’

Sadly, the brash manner in which the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the deposed national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole have been bragging about the outcome of the election, does not indicate a willingness to allow the will of the people, through the ballot box to prevail.

Interestingly, the rich history of Edo State speaks to something different. And with many highly placed people in the APC not too comfortable about being used as tools to create chiefdoms for certain politicians and their political cronies, there might be hope.

However, the desperation of certain viruses within the APC must be carefully watched. With the brazen attempt at creating a parallel parliament in Edo State backed by the Attorney General of the Federation and other party chieftains, observers must be concerned.

What the APC has done is leaving Edo people with a simple choice to make with their votes. A choice for self-determination and self-governance by voting Obaseki for second term, as against indirectly renewing a third-term for Oshiomhole and running the risk of their intelligence being assaulted again in four years’ time with another cock and bull story to replace Osagie Ize-Iyamu with another stooge of the former labour leader.

While it is simple to consider that voters in Edo State are not so gullible as to fall for the rhetoric of the APC, it is evident that the desperation of power hungry politicians can defy logic.

This is why I am wondering why the civil society is watching helplessly while democracy is being raped to death in Nigeria. The deafening silence of activists and the civil society over godfatherism and criminals infiltrating the polity is worrisome because keeping silence in the face of oppression means blindly supporting the oppressor.

Several signs in the political and governance space have left people pondering if there is a possibility that the civil society is conniving to abort democracy in Nigeria.

The final nail on the coffin of democracy in Nigeria has often been driven in by mismanaged elections. The desperation of certain groups of people to hold on to power have seen them cross the line of human tolerance, again and again, with no human certain, when the stretch of endurance would cave-in. Until something is done or seen as being done, right thinking citizens will keep wondering if the civil society is folding its hands while democracy dies in Nigeria.