The voice of Jacob, the hand of Esau
By
"Among a people generally corrupt, liberty cannot long exist" Edmund Burke (1729 – 1797)
WHAT a pity! Increasingly, we are becoming a nation with a large proportion of spineless and opportunistic people, seeking political power – men without bile, or even stomach for a good political fight – not to talk of spirited moral resistance!! Because of these men of straw, and easy political virtue, who like the flotsams on a murky tributary stream, are now emptying themselves into the PDP waterfall, our country now faces the prospect of becoming a de facto one party state. And this, not due to any inherent merit on the part of the PDP, but because men from the opposition parties, fancy that joining the PDP holds the prospect of quick enrichment for them. Clearly, these early bird carpet crossers, with an eagle eye on Election 2003 have neither a sense of shame, integrity, nor even any notion of what it means to be of service to the nation – even as a member of the "Opposition" in the National Assembly. Truly, Nigeria is in far more serious danger, with so many worthless men tugging at the reins of political power, than one would have thought possible, two years ago, when we joyfully embraced the new democratic dispensation, as the panacea for the nation’s ills.
Judging from the events of the past two years, it is evident that as a political party, the PDP is as fractured and unruly, as either the AD or APP. What separates them is that the PDP is in power, and has access to patronage this is the lure. Evidently, those now deserting the AD and APP for the PDP, cannot claim that they are doing so out of ideological conversion or conviction, because none of the existing political parties has any worthwhile ideology. If as some of them claim, they are leaving because their party is divided, why not stay and fight?
We have of recent, been treated to theatrical and absurd fulminations, by the latest batch of fair-weather politicians, who have decamped from the opposition to join the PDP. One had thought that some of these men, would at least try to redeem themselves, by for once offering genuine service to the nation (from which they had dis-proportionately enriched themselves while serving in past military regimes) by a stint in the opposition, even as an act of political penance. After all, as Milton said, "They also serve, who only standby and wait" Clearly, these men have never read Milton – or any liberalizing literature for that matter, hence their moral obtuseness and insensitivity to what is ethically permissible.
At any time, in the political life of any country, a one party state is to be deplored, and considered insidiously subversive of the true ends of democracy. Here in Nigeria, such an eventuality should be viewed with alarm, and considered fraught with danger, particularly with the sort of politicians that we have in the various tiers of government, whose business is not minding the nation’s business, but their own business; using their political power to access and monopolize the nation’s wealth. So while the PDP may be jubilating and cheering loudly, (empty drums, they say, make the most sound) as they lure more opportunistic politicians from the ranks of the opposition parties into their fold, the nation has nothing to cheer about. The prospect for the future, under the PDP, which has so far refused to reform itself, and bring discipline to bear on members of the party in government, is more of the same a plethora of indigestible menu of intent and promises, – seldom consummated.
Now, as if to confirm our worst fears, that we are doomed to be trapped in the embrace of the PDP political octopus, the PDP controlled Senate, motivated by God knows what, last week decided to dazzle us with their own political fancy footwork, by enacting a Bill purportedly regulating the sequences for the 2003 Presidential and General Elections in the country. Operating out of an exaggerated sense of their constitutional sovereignty, the Senate committed an embarrassing political faux pax, by passing a Bill reversing the order in which these elections are to be held, when it put the Presidential Elections first, ahead of Local Government and State Government elections.
This becomes even more grotesquely absurd, when it is realized that these two preceded the presidential elections of February 1999 and that any deferment could render their stay in power unlawful. This selfish and clumsy electoral manoeuvre, is intended as a catalyst to engineer a band waggon effect, so that all the incumbents now seeking re-election, can ride to victory on the coattails of a victorious President Obasanjo. This is not only shameful, but is an insult to the committed electorate, who against their better judgment, might be left with no choice, but to vote for unworthy PDP candidates, because of the fait accompli of a re-elected President Obasanjo.
There is no doubt, that on strict constitutional grounds alone, this cheap gamble by the Senate can’t be faulted, but it will fail –unless as usual, the Nigerian electorate decide to short sell their liberties for a few Naira. But there is more to the Senate’s electoral perfidy than meets the eye. The Senate, at the apex of the legislative machinery of government, is supposed to be the repository and guardian of the people’s democracy and liberties. It is expected to interpose itself between the people (whose mouth-piece it is) and the executive branch of government, and ensure that no breach of the constitution occurs, that may impair the sovereignty of the people’s will. Therefore, when the Senate itself, unsolicited, gratuitously takes it upon itself, to erode the people’s liberty through legislative legerdemain, then it has to be concluded that a major betrayal of trust has occurred. There is no iota of evidence, that any sector of the Nigerian public, clamoured for the Presidential Elections to be held, before state and local government elections. Therefore, it must be concluded that the Senate acted in the self interest of the failed politicians among its ranks, who are, never the less, bent on imposing themselves on the people for a second term, through this sleight – of – hand legislative contrivance. It shall fail unless Nigerians have lost their will to resist further encroachment and erosion of their liberties. The voice of universal brotherhood we hear from the Senate is the voice of Jacob, but the hands that betray the people’s trust are the hands of Esau.
What is most worrying in all this, is the consensual approach by the Senate, without any dissenting voice, to such an unsound piece of legislation, which is clearly a retrograde step, in our efforts to refine and improve the democratic process, still largely at the primitive stage in this country. Is it the case, that the Senate lacks a few principled men, who could have seen the inherent danger in this Bill, and resisted it? Was there a spirited debate in the Senate over this very important piece of legislation, that impinges on our liberties and threatens to undermine the democratic process?
What ever happened to the Hansard, that used to publish details of each Legislator’s contribution to debates in the National Assembly? Nigerians are entitled to know who said what, so as to be in a position to know those who betrayed the people’s trust. The prevailing consensual mentality, does injustice to the many good and just men in the National Assembly, and provides a haven of concealment for those who are just there as stargazers and dreamers, during proceedings in the National Assembly. The work of the different Senate and House Committees, important as they may be, are not designed to operate as "political caucuses" to fore close open debate and dissent. When the Oputa Commission ends its noble national assignment, the T.V slot now devoted to airing the proceedings of the sittings of the Commission, should be devoted to airing debates of the National Assembly.
We are tired of being ruled, and having our lives regulated by faceless, shadowy forces that we can neither identify, nor castigate, making transparency a mere mirage, and the conceit of being the peoples’ "Honourable" representatives, the legislative equivalent of 419_most "Honourables" are, for the moment, representing nobody but themselves.
An essential feature of the integrity of any electoral process, is the regularity and predictability of the elections timetable. Once you begin to tinker with this, the issue of transparency is immediately called into question. The path of honour for the Senate, lies in its tentacles of interference, on an issue in which its constitutional jurisdiction is being challenged on the grounds of prudence, be immediately retracted. In the civilized democracies, as for example in the United Kingdom, it is the Prime Minister (after due consultation with the Crown) who announces the date for new British Elections. The same thing applies in France, which operates a Presidential style of government similar to ours. These sort of periodic shenanigans in which our legislators delight, make us look like mere political juveniles, in the eyes and estimation of the international community.
Now, coming down to the real threat posed to democracy, by the inexorable drift towards a PDP one party state, no one should be in doubt as to its dead-end result. It is a farce to pretend, that there is merit in a one party state, or to defend the absence of a parliamentary opposition, as being consistent with the African tradition of consensual traditional administration of justice. The simple fact is that these two theatres are worlds apart, and in any event, parliamentary government is more complex, and covers a wider scope of human activity, than the simple administration of local communities.
But what is, above all, more worrisome is the lack of will among Nigerians, generally, for sustainable opposition in politics, as exhibited by the AD and APP decamping politicians, and is indicative of the growing moral deliquescence of the nation. It shows people’s disinclination to suffer any prolonged financial inconvenience, and their willingness, if it is possible to avoid it, to sacrifice their principles and ideals. This is the dangerous aspect of our gregarious and consumptive disposition –people do not want to sow before they reap.
If this unwillingness to stay the course, in the political wilderness, is not arrested, or discouraged, we will end up as a nation without character. And this is where staunch and steadfast leadership is called for, in both the AD and APP. It has become axiomatic in our society that money is everything – but it is not. We must consciously begin to de-emphasize the importance of money, as the key to the solution of the nation’s problems, and place more premium on honesty and integrity, placing selfless service to the nation, above all other considerations.
Nigerians must wake-up to the absolute and imperative necessity, of nurturing and supporting a verile political opposition in this country, otherwise the uneasy compact which now exists, between the South and the North, East and West, the rich and poor in our country, will degenerate into a covenant with death, and an agreement with hell. And indeed, as Disraeli has observed, "No Government can be long secure, without a formidable opposition". At the risk of sounding like a broken record (for I have said it often-times in this column) the act of opposition is a patriotic service of no less worth, than being in government.
Opposition is needed, because as Anatole France once said, "the state is like the human body; not all its functions are dignified" It is the function of an opposition party, to expose and purge government of its less edifying functions, and to present itself as a viable alternative to a government, that has failed the people. Without this option, democracy ceases to be exciting and meaningful. Killing off the opposition, as the PDP plans to do, is a monumental disservice to this nation, and is no less re-provable than the opposition, which is self-destructing itself through defections, and unending internal dissensions.
The bottom line is that, Nigerians must take this democracy business more seriously; we have grasped at the tail, and think that all there is to it, is to organize free elections for the people to cast their votes, then its, "to your tents O Israel", while the victorious party thinks that it has a free hand to privatize the assets of the nation, for its exclusive benefit, for the next four years before another election is due.
Members of the Opposition parties must learn to cultivate the virtues of persistence and resistance – which in politics are indispensable for success. They should not be disheartened or give in too easily to defeat or in the profane language of the battle field, " don’t let the bastards grind you down!". The secret is to pick yourself up, dust off the tell-tale evidence of your defeat, and start all over again. Each attempt, must be viewed as a new battle not a carry-over from past defeats. Only persistence, persistence and still more persistence will pay off at the end. Indeed, Calvin Coolidge says as a matter of fact that, "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence neither genius nor education could persistence and determination alone are omnipotent… The slogan "Press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
And ample proof of this abound. In our life-time, we have seen the British Labour Party doggedly survive three consecutive electoral defeats; one under Michael Foot and two under Mr. Neil Kinnock. The once impregnable Conservative Party was subsequently knocked off its haughty pedestal by Labour, under the leadership of the charismatic and youthful Tony Blair. The Socialist Party in France under the late President Mitterand, also contested and lost Presidential elections seven times consecutively, before Mitterand finally triumphed.
The point being made here is that, and I quote Robert Briffaut, "Democracy is the worst form of government. It is the most inefficient, the most clumsy, the most impractical…. It reduces wisdom to impotence and secures the triumph of folly, ignorance, claptrap and demagogy… Yet democracy is the only form of social order admissible, because it is the only one consistent with justice". The onus is on the opposition parties in Nigeria, to educate the electorate, about the justice of their cause, this done, they will find that victory cannot be far behind.
Meanwhile, a thoroughly reformed and revamped PDP, which is bristling with talents, and seasoned politicians, is capable of offering this nation good democratic governance. The problem of the PDP, as it is with the nation as a whole, is in their not putting their best foot forward preferring mediocrity to excellence in order not to upset the contending power blocks within it, most of whom are uncomfortable with excellence.
In this regard, one cannot but wonder, what the PDP intends to do with the awesome political power it will have at its disposal, when it has succeeded in destroying the political opposition judging by its current crusade to become the lone political superpower in Nigeria. I personally do not believe, that the evolution of a one party state is healthy, or desirable for Nigeria it could be the broad way that leads to the death of democracy as we know it in Nigeria, today. Nothing will delight me more, than to be proved wrong.
December 2001