By Guest Writer
By the theory of the Prague University, developed democracies avoid the universal suffrage in the choice of the ultimate leader because it ultimately leads to an implosion. The USA in particular avoids it by hearkening to the quest for involvement and taking it back by the reliance on the Electoral College. Thus, the people go to the poll for presidential election while they have actually elected an Electoral College of 538 people which then elects the President. Have we even bothered to ask: who are those voted as electors?
Look everywhere outside of Africa, China is perhaps the country with the largest number of voters who elect the head of government (President, Prime Minister or whatever called, but Premier in their own case). It is just about 3000 people chosen by the Ruling Party. Let’s check some others: Britain (leader of party that wins majority of 650 seats), France (people choose the President who alone chooses the Prime Minister but cannot sack him) just like Russia where the President’s nominee is approved by parliament. India and Japan like other parliamentary democracies, the parliament either nominate or (s)elect the Head of Government, the Prime Minister. The Arabs maintain the monarchical system.
Even in Africa, it is perhaps Nigeria alone that adopts the system of all voters electing the President who is both head of state and head of government as most countries adopt the parliamentary system.
In effect, it is only those who know what the power in the office is that will determine the ruler. The all-comer presidential mode we adopted is one in which a professor, a lawyer, a doctor, driver, hawker, almajeri, area boy and an imbecile have equal voting right in the matter of who rules the country. It is called one-man-one-vote mode. It is a mode that weakens the chosen and destroys the polity. It is anachronistic and bound to fail if we have not seen the failure yet.
When the Head of Government needs the votes of everybody, he has to visit and appease everyone, make promises to everyone, please everyone, befriend everyone, forgive everyone … What manner of leader is that suppose to be.
To see everyone, you need a lot of energy and resources. No one provides such money who has genuinely worked for it. (S)he steals it for purpose and is assisted by thieves and political investors who have inordinate interests and will buy if it is available for sale. Those who can easily reach out to the weaker minds are mostly crooks. You have to befriend them to reach them. Those who have the energy of grabbing-and-running-away-with-it are crooks who must be tolerated and even elevated. The power is already compromised before it is gotten.
Now you can see why a Professor will not be a councillor in this system. Why it is dominated by crooks with fake qualifications and questionable means. Why crooks boldly dominate parliaments, commit crimes of padding and are appeased by unaccounted budgets. Why criminals are forgiven upon being inducted into ruling parties. Why election in 2 years determines all government actions and it is stealing in all spheres at all levels. Why snakes eat monies and mics are offed. Why people are cross-carpeting and decamping.
Why the same candidate has been representing the opposition in presidential elections because he alone has the money. Why there is desperation in elections. Why there is no internal democracy within political parties. In a height of desperation, the Central Bank recoloured our currency, caused inflation and we are still saddled with double currencies all because of presidential election. And what has happened to the man?…
Contracts are awarded but not (properly) implemented. Parliamentarians receive constituency allowances to execute projects when they are not executives. Senators now receive up to a billion monthly. When the supervisor becomes the executor, be sure there is no accountability. There are budgets but no returns. Many contracts and policies are simply meant to create money for the boys while we look helplessly. In Lagos, you are arrested on BRT lane which is freely plied by danfos. NURTW officials fight themselves on social media over monies extorted from passengers running into several millions. It is a state-of-nature everywhere.
As it is running, there will ultimately be a one-party state, a dictator and complete annihilation of minority ethnic groups from the mainstream political set-up. It is a matter of course. It needs not happen with present leadership. Those who have access to public funds will ultimately outrun those using personal resources including the crooks. Continuous victory will lead to apathy which is the case of Lagos. That will lead to absolutism since all want to belong and see the sun. At the highest level, when it is suggested that there is no need for election who will complain otherwise the election will continue to produce the same results. See Paul Biya and Co. And in a game of number, minority groups are mere participants.
These are still internal issues.
This system has undermined our sovereignty. When you need everybody, you hearken to their owners. Some of the mobilisers of money and people are international people with diverse international interests. Those interests put down terms. For instance, have we bothered to ask ourselves why our presidential candidates go to Chatham House to campaign? Chatham House ordinarily is the equivalent of Nigeria Institute of International Affairs. But, no! Chatham House is a coven of a political cult group. Do they vote in Nigeria or why is anybody campaigning to non-voters? They have stakeholders who buy our politics and policies because it has been merchandised by a system sold to us but not used by the sellers.
So, when you hear that people steal billions and they just give such preposterous excuses like snake swallow and nothing happens, remember that there are interests and there are orders from ‘above’. The IMF and World Bank are obsolete tools. A system that has the leader needing everybody inside and outside is sufficient.
There is nothing executive about the President, Governors and Local Government Chairmen. They are exposed kings on the chess board. Let Mr. President continue to run to Mr. Macron, it can only make us another colony of France when our neighbouring brothers would have been happier if we were strong enough to recolonise them.
So, Ibori will be granted amnesty to sin no more. Why? Numbers are important!
Wherefore rejoice! Our tears should fill the bank of River Niger. This is not democracy!
Now that General Babangida has formally admitted that M. K. O. Abiola actually won the June 12, 1993 election, can he at least be recognized as *former Head of State?
S. O. K. Shillings Esq.
