As the 2003 elections, which would determine the future of Nigeria’s unfinished business of democracy approaches, it becomes imperative to reflect on the impediments to the nation’s unending desire for a true democracy. This would probably guide political operators in the society through the impending do or die political activities. The barriers are many, and they appear to assume a more perilous proportion by the day. However, tribe and religion, which are political realities in Nigeria, remain the forces that have contributed greatly to sociopolitical instability in the nation. The latest sectarian turbulence in the society and the clamor for the presidency by the varied ethnic groups indicate that the society is still Balkanized by tribal and religious sentiments. And they are expected to play prominent role in the 2003 elections.

Each ethnic nationality in Nigeria has its own faith, interest, culture, language and level of aspiration, and these forces seem to affect the economic fate of each group. In addition, they make the creation of a common identity problematic, thereby exacerbating the difficulty in attaining a true democracy in the society. Currently, Nigeria lacks the necessary democratic values (civil and human rights abuse is rampant, freedom of speech and expression is hampered, lack of social security, distributive justice and credible political opposition, etc), hence the rampant social unrest in the polity. While some sections of the society abhor the taking of human life, others (because of their religious belief) perceive the ‘killing of people in the name of Allah’ as a ‘religious duty.’ This type of behavior does not augur well in a democracy! Thus, to transform its democratic experiment into a true democracy the nation must control social disturbances, establish and nurture the essential political institutions to protect the people’s rights, lives and properties.

The absence of true federalism in Nigeria is a stumbling block to the nation’s ongoing democratic enterprise. The federal government is very overbearing as it controls about 80 per cent of the resources in the country, leaving state and local governments at its mercy. Therefore, true federalism would enable each region, state, or geopolitical zone to control their resources and to have access to the necessary funds for community development programs. It is only true federalism that can guarantee fairness and justice in the society. More importantly, it enables each locality to progress (retrogress) according to the aspiration of the people. A durable and enforceable people’s constitution is an indispensable tool to make this feasible, as the constitution protects the people and determines socio-political activities in a society. As notes in The Philosophy Of Aristotle, "we can decide the identity of a state only by examining the form [and contents] of its constitution."

Illiteracy and ignorance is an obstacle to the nation’s quest for true democracy, as bigots and political opportunists pandering to ethnicity and religion manipulate them to cause mischief in the society. It is appropriate to note that more than one half of the Nigerian population is illiterate. Thus, a certain level of education would enable the citizens to differentiate right from wrong and evaluate the principles of political leaders and political office seekers so as to make an informed political decision. Regrettably, political parties and politicians in the society are not ideologically ingrained. The situation where political parties and those elected (or appointed) to manage the affairs of the nation do not represent nothing other than bribery and corruption make the sustenance of true democracy impracticable.

Continued poverty, reinforced by mass unemployment, is a barrier to the Nigeria’s quest to true democracy. The federal government had announced a war on poverty, but joblessness has not lessened. Any individual deprived of the basic wherewithal cannot participate effectively in a democratic political process. Therefore, a poor person is not a full-fledged social individual, as he or she lacks the basic freedom to engage in the lives he or she enjoys. Thus Amartya Sen observes in Development As Freedom that "Expanding the freedoms that we have reason to value not only makes our lives richer and more unfettered, but also allows us to be fuller social persons, exercising our own volition and interacting with-and influencing-the world in which we live." One can then safely argue that poverty constitutes a hindrance to true democracy since economic chaos can topple democratic institutions. The problems of poverty and injustice are good part of Nigeria, and the citizens do not seem to understand what is in their culture that prevents them from achieving a just, prosperous, dignified life and true democracy. It is essential to note that about 70 per cent of the Nigerian population are estimated poor. Is there any wonder why the society is chaotic?

Discrimination, ethnicity, tribalism and poverty are closely related, as they affect the people’s ability to secure employment and earn a living. Consequently, many people are concerned more by their daily struggle for economic survival than the empty term - democracy, which they believe would not feed them. The government should therefore engage in social policies to spur economic growth (expansion of basic education, health care and equitable distribution of resources) to enlarge the economic pie, so as to reduce poverty. To prosper and attain true democracy the society must create a "sound macroeconomic, political and legal environment" which would enable business organizations and citizens to be productive. (A sound microeconomic policy is equally important). As Michael E. Potter warns in Culture Matters, "Unless companies operating in a nation become more productive, an economy cannot become more productive." If the citizens and companies are not productive and innovative the nation cannot compete in the global market place and therefore cannot meet the people’s needs. Toward this end, Yehudah Mirsky (1994) notes that economic development creates the social space that makes democracy possible and gives a newly democratic government the breathing room to deliver on its promises. The promises the government has been incapable of fulfilling include the prompt payment of workers salaries, maintenance of roads and the funding of schools and hospitals.

Thus, Nigeria’s reward system, which is, perhaps, the poorest in the world, is among the causes of the poverty of the people. Workers work for months without getting their salaries and the retired are not paid their pension benefits. Sadly, national priorities are turned upside down in the society; hard work is not rewarded, but rogues are often glorified. And these have adversely impacted the lives of the citizens, thereby making the attainment of true democracy a difficult endeavor. Prosperity, therefore, is the ability of an individual, group, or nation to provide shelter, nutrition, and other material goods that enable people to live a good life.

Perhaps, the most pressing problem facing Nigeria is leadership ineptness. The society will continue to have problems realizing its dream until its political leaders are capable of making tough decisions with vigorous enforcement of the laws of the land to deter anti-social and anti-democracy behaviors. In other words, the nation’s democratic enterprise will not be fruitful until the leaders, to borrow from Lawrence E. Harrison (2002), begin to "initiate activities that promote progressive values and attitudes." Perhaps, the nation’s traditional culture is a handicap! Nigeria has for long entrusted its democratic enterprise in the hands of non-democrats - the military Generals. And that’s why the business has remained unfinished. Could one without democratic ethos deliver true democracy to Nigeria? You cannot give what you don’t have! Related to this is uncertainty of a military coup d'état. In a place like the lawless Nigeria nobody is certain what the khaki boys would do. However, we now leave in a global village; any bloodthirsty military officers venturing to overthrow a duly constituted Nigerian government would face the wrath of the international community, as the world would bomb them to submission.

Lack of information (distorted information) has been a serious problem in the society. With missing and crawling mails in NIPOST and with telephone lines that are often dead, it takes weeks for information to get from point A to B. The Internet and private courier services, which are rudimentary, remain very expensive. Thus, appropriate and reliable information enables citizens to make informed decision. And to thrive in the emerging computerized global economy the leaders of Nigeria must change their approach and address the key issues facing the nation. In addition, many Nigerians are computer illiterate and lack the necessary information to make sound sociopolitical and economic decision. Therefore to transform the Nigeria into a computer-literate society, it must invest copiously in information technology and education. Without freedom of speech and expression, free and fair elections and alternative sources of information (not the state sponsored radio and TV stations that distort information), the welfare of the people is in jeopardy. A society is better served by free and open reporting, because from robust debates grows a better understanding of issues confronting a nation. Thus, anything that hinders information affects governance and true democracy.

Another predicament in the unfinished business is the absence of basic democratic values in the society. Some of the nation’s political leaders have often left many in doubt about their respect for democratic norms. Ethical crisis and fraud perpetrated mostly by the lawmakers are approaching an alarming proportion. This includes politics of greed and lust for power (political office holders should learn to resign if they cannot perform), electoral frauds, political intolerance, thugs and political assassinations strewn all over the landscape. To attain a true democracy the agencies in charge of elections must ensure a level playing field for all political participants. That means that everyone in the society must have equal political opportunity to participate in the political process and ‘political differences and disagreements among citizens should be tolerated and protected.’ As Robert Dahl wonders in On Democracy "If we don’t believe in political equality, how can we support democracy?" And without credible opposition, democracy dies.

Finally, it is a known fact that corruption is a bane of Nigeria; and this has affected every facet of the society. Nigeria is a place where political leaders with access to national treasury convert public funds to private use; it is a place where the Congress works to undermine anti-corruption campaign; and it is a society with corrupt judiciary. Consequently, political corruption is pandemic in Nigeria, with bureaucratic and electoral corruption, bribery and fraud, embezzlement and extortion with favoritism and nepotism widespread on the political scene. The recent N300 million scandals in the Congress, is a tip of the iceberg! To reach its destination, the political immunity enjoyed by the corrupt politicians in Congress should be scrapped to enable the society hold them accountable for their actions while in office. True democracy demands that citizens should create and maintain a supportive political culture. In conclusion, for Nigerians to get the good governance, distributive justice, transparency, accountability and the rule of law they deserve, they must address the critical issues surrounding the unfinished business of democracy in Nigeria, and the time is the forthcoming 2003 elections. It is only Nigerians who can make Nigeria what Nigeria must become.

Dec 2002