RE: DE-REGISTRATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES

Dear Esteemed readers,
I have been humbly honored and mandated by Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, the National Chairman of the PEOPLES' REDEMPTION PARTY, to publish this rejoinder to the Editor of DailyTrust after waiting for several days without his rejoinder being published by the dailyTrust.

KINDLY CIRCULATE WIDELY TO FRUSTRATE THE SUBTARREIAN MOVES BY THE PDP THRU INEC TO EMASCULATE THE OPPOSITION!

Bashir I'shaq Bashir.

ENJOY YOUR READING!



The Editor,

DailyTrust,

Abuja.


Your editorial on de-registration of Political parties on page 55 of the DailyTrust dated Wednesday, August 2012, lacks democratic essence, realism, balanced considerations, and is reactionary journalism.


On democratic essence, you seem to prefer political convenience to free formation and growth of political parties. You seem to ignore relevant sections of the 1999 constitution of the Federal government of Nigeria regarding the power of Nigerians (the electorate) to decide the fate of political parties and their election candidates.


Remember that limitation of the number of political parties and their election candidates were first introduced in Nigeria by the military as part of their impositions before the handover of power to civilians which led to the second Republic. The military was concerned about who they were handing over power to because they might decide to come back.


During the colonial time and the first Republic, there were no attempts to restrict the number of political parties and candidates by fiat. The power was exercised by the electorate and hence fewer political parties and candidates survived. This was democracy and free formation of political parties and their growth.


On realism, how can any sound arbiter (which the DailyTrust editorial pretends to be), judge between the present so called big and “real bonafide parties” and others, when stolen public money and incumbency powers are the deciding factors in politics and elections and not self reliance, patriotism, and financial contributions of party members.


Financing of political parties by the governments contributed to over-regulation of politics and political parties, unwieldiness, illogicalities, bottlenecks to conduct of elections, cumbersomeness, nuisance, and other nightmares of INEC which the editorial mentioned, as well as the incompetence and lack of independence  of the electoral management body.


In any case, financing of political parties by government stopped many years ago and it was just N6m yearly for each political party; hardly enough for a village head area in our money politics. Can you say that your “bonafide” political parties individually and, or collectively are changing the negative state of the Nation? Why then bother to judge in their favour against the others?


You said in many mature democracies predominance of few number of parties is the norm. Is Nigeria a mature democracy? What is democratic about the fundamental state of the Nigerian nation? Do these democracies deregister political parties? You should know better!


On balance, section 40 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria makes it quite clear that a political party that has been accorded recognition by the commission cannot be deregistered. It says:


“every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests: provided that the provision of this section shall not derogate from the power conferred by this constitution on INEC with respect to political parties to which that commission does not accord recognition”.

Is the editorial calling for underground political movements by other means to take care of the Natural rights of the aggrieved Nigerians where and when the rights are denied?



Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa

National Chairman of the

PEOPLES’ REDEMPTION PARTY

And Conference of Nigerian political parties (CNPP)  

Malam Aminu Kano: Still the President Nigeria did not have.

A write up on Malam Aminu Kano By Muhammad Balarabe SangoII

Malam Aminu Kano: Still the President Nigeria did not have

Today, 17^th of April, 2012 is exactly 29 years ago when the great champion of the poor, a rebel, a crusader politician, a statesman and parliamentarian, died in his residence at Gwammaja, Kano City. His death has indeed created a gulf of vacuum that has not been filled since that time. Anyway, few of the likes of Malam Aminu Kano exist in any one century and in exceptional parts of the globe.

Nigerians, especially in the north, have been clamoring for a northern president, having been betrayed and sold by expected successors of our funding fathers like Ahmadu Bello Sardaunan Sokoto, Alh. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, and Malam Aminu Kano.

Malam Aminu Kano has been in and out of government several times, in all, he had the opportunity to be millionaire (of that time), but he died a humble man with little or nothing in his account in and abroad. He served his nation faithfully and selflessly. “The importance to society of people like Aminu Kano or Mahatma Gandhi is not that every politician can become like them, for that would be a totally unrealistic expectation. But the monumental fact is this: Gandhi was real; Aminu Kano was real … not angels in heavens … no one who reduces the high purpose of politics … to swinish scrambles ca do so without bringing down a terrible judgment upon himself. Nigeria cannot be the same again because Aminu Kano lived here” Chinua Achebe – The Trouble with Nigeria.

How prophetic are these words! Amongst our leaders especially from the north, how many can emulate Malam Aminu Kano? Who denied himself the materials of this world, paved way for others… ‘In his words… “daga gidajen sakar tabarmi da kiwon tumaki zuwa sama da sarakuna (from poor shepherd homes to higher pedestal above the monarchs). Even at death, has continued to be a symbol of emancipation and political catalysts for political office seekers for want cheap publicity by identifying themselves with the old sage.

The unfortunate thing is that, since the demise of our founding fathers, Ahmadu Bello, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Malam Aminu) only their eulogies are being chanted at their anniversaries and no others. Why? Because the founding fathers have done their best selflessly for the region and the country in general, but as for their ‘successors’ they have virtually fell below expectations and have failed woefully with little or nothing to show as legacies. 52 years after independence, as in the words of Malam Aminu Kano, “our people eat diseased food, drink dirty water and sleep under wind and rain.” Majority of our politicians have turned politics into investing and profiteering venture. It’s a do or die affair, and survival of the fittest.

We are therefore left with wide gulf of leadership vacuum in the northern region and the nation at large. We need leaders that are selfless, patriotic, focused and full of foresight. Leaders that would put the nation’s interest first above all other interests of sectional, tribal and religious inclinations. By God we have these kinds of leaders, but many have not come forward to serve; even when they do, they will not be given the chance to do so because of our dangerous political trend in our polity. Were those founding fathers to resurrect to this messy nation, they would have die (again) instantly due to what they would have encounter. People like Malam Aminu Kano died when they were needed most. In fact, Malam Aminu Kano was the President Nigeria did not have. May his soul rest in perfect peace, amin.

Finally, I would to close with a quotation of his speech: “I have seen the light on the far away horizon, and I intend to march into its full circle, either alone or with anyone who cares to go with me” The questions are, what was the light seen by Malam Aminu Kano? Did anybody cared to go with him, or did they let him went alone?

Muhammad B Sango II

Beware! He Keeps Watch over us!

Beware! He Keeps Watch over us!

There were sporadic gun shots initially, then explosions, then gun shots, then explosion again, and again, and again.

Kano was held hostage by Senseless, heartless, barbaric, and cruel ‘human beings’! For six hours the carnage continued unabated. The Public and the police were left to their own devices. The attacks were as simultaneous as they were coordinated, BUK road, ‘Yar Akwa, Farm center, and Bompai the main battlefield.

The explosions from the bombs and the horrific sounds from sophisticated guns were horrifying! This isn’t Baghdad, this isn’t Kabul, or Mogadishu, Somalia, this is Kano! The people and the security agencies were caught unawares! There was pandemonium everywhere. People were scrambling all over to run to safety, but where is safe? Where? Those who were initially informed of the first attack at BUK road were now rushing to Police Barracks Bompai, where traditionally they get shelter whenever there is a crisis. But today, the Police barracks is the theater of Carnage, so most of them were gunned down on their way to ‘safety’!

Those of us who were just 200m away from the center of attacks were horrified beyond description. The pounding of our hearts were as loud, if not louder than the gun shots and bomb explosions! We were lying flat where ever we felt was relatively ‘safe’. The strong were praying, the weak were sobbing, while the weaker ones were openly crying, not that there was a significant difference among us!

The ground, upon which all men and women either walk on humbly or arrogantly, was itself shaking. Glasses were shattering all around us. I felt feverish, nauseous, and dizzy.  My back was aching, my head was aching, and my arms were trembling. I was having difficulty in coordinating my words, which was meant to instill some confidence in those with me, men and women, Christians and Muslims lying on the floor of a mosque. Some had Qur’an in their hands, some had Bibles. Allah was called upon by Muslims uncountable times as much as Jesus Christ was summoned by the Christians! We were terrified beyond belief. We know that anything can happen, any moment. There was fear. Very palpable, you could almost touch it!

My wife just left with my youngest Son to see my Mother. My other 3 older children were with my sister just leaving Kano to Jigawa for a wedding, and I am here. All sort of things were going on in my mind! Were they going to be safe? Will I see them again? What is all this? This scenario prevailed for six solid hours nonstop! We managed to pray Magrib and Isha’I prayers. The most incoherent prayers I have ever performed! When things started to calm down, and by calm down I mean few shots being fired intermittently now, my coordination and senses which had temporarily taken leave, begin to come back slowly. I now have my questioning capacities back.

Why is this happening? Who are these people who have this uncommon audacity and high level of military training as to attack such high profile targets in a city like Kano? What do they want to achieve by this horrific and despicable acts? Above all, how can these number of people, which these amount of Munitions and explosives get into Kano unnoticed by anyone?  The questions kept coming in torrents!

The following day, we defied the curfew and went round Kano to assess the damage for the benefit of our followers on Facebook and Twitter. The overall picture was, due to lack of a better word, simply HORRIFIC! Innocent passersby were ruthlessly gunned down. Women, Children, the sight was horrible! It was sheer carnage!

Where did we derail? What fault line did we cross? Is our diagnosis wrong?  Are the prescriptions given working or is it all motion no movement?

Nigeria is not plagued by Natural disasters like Hurricanes, Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Tremors, Mudslides, Bushfires, or extreme weather conditions. But we have, as a people, collectively decided to inflict on ourselves the biggest ever manmade disaster yet known to mankind on our selves!  We have decided to be corrupt, tolerate corruption, celebrate corruption, play politics with corruption, condone corruption, entrench corruption and exalt anyone who is corrupt!

We are the most pretentious people on earth! We open and close all meetings with prayers yet discuss the most horrific evils in the meetings. We have allowed ‘leaders’ to divide us along ethnic and religious divides to our detriment.

Corruption has eaten both our physical and mental capacities; it has become a Faculty under which all other evil departments reside. Nigeria has, unfortunately, become a country of bunch of Jokers. Whatever we do, the rest of the World takes it with a pinch of salt. We say one thing when we meant the other. Top bottom, we need a big rethink.

I deliberately left out the other evils plaguing us because they all have their roots firmly entrenched  in the fertile soil of corruption; Poverty, Nepotism, laziness, ethnicity, religious bigotry, unemployment, bad Governance, armed robbery. These are all offsprings of the Monster called corruption!

Going back memory lane when Obasanjo reigns, an American Diplomat circulated a document which professes the possible break up of Nigeria by 2015. A little later, Ghaddafi, now late, advocated for the splitting of Nigeria along religious divide. Everyone, including every leader rained insults on these agents of doom. But we stopped there. We did not run a simulation along the faultlines raised. We did not take lady Nigeria for X-ray, Blood count or MRI! We simply dusted her and sprayed some perfume and puffed some powder and, as usual went back to sleep.

There is a saying in Hausa language, that “When you see a dog sniffing at a shoe, there could be meat inside” I don’t believe our leaders at the most highest levels ever undertook  strategic simulation sessions to forecast worst case scenarios, and devise ways, and means of addressing these future challenges If and when they may happen.

Early reports of the investigations from Kano indicate that most of the Bombers and attackers are Chadians; Likely, former rebel fighters with a very high level of guerilla warfare training.  The amount of munitions, heavy weapons, grenades and other explosives found is staggering! The level of coordination, sophistication and audacity they displayed was characteristic of their experience and background. No locally trained riffraff can launch such attacks and sustain it for more than 6 hours!

These attackers indiscriminately cut down anyone and anything on their way that fateful Friday. They did not discriminate between a Muslim and a Christian. Not between a man and a woman. They did not even spare children and pregnant women! They were blind, not physically, but mentally.  They murdered innocent Nigerians going about their legitimate businesses. They murdered hundreds of innocent souls!

From all indications, there is a foreign element in these attacks that have been going on. What I am reeling out is only a hypothesis that may be a theory. These are fragments of my thoughts that are beginning to take a definite pattern. My gut feeling is that somebody or a group of people somewhere are not happy and comfortable with a United, prosperous, and stable Nigeria. Somebody or a group of people are working desperately day and night to precipitate a crisis in our dear country not because they don’t like us but because they can make a fortune in our misfortune!

Imagine a market for arms, munitions and explosives that spans Billions of dollars if we fight each other! Imagine the billions of dollars that can go into some people’s treasury in terms of ‘Reconstruction’ Contracts! Imagine the capital flight in billions of dollars that will immediately be shipped to countries that have been officially declared bankrupt! Imagine the billions of barrels of oil that can be stolen in crisis time! Imagine the comfort of not having to deal with a Potent Successful Nigeria that has the capacity of being a world power with great diversity in its people and millions of Tons of mineral riches! Imagine the relief of not having a stronger Nigeria with a population of over 500 million people in 30 years! Imagine…… whatever other imaginable scenario!

Ghaddafi, may his soul rest in peace, had a hand in virtually most crisis in Africa. He was clearly a man with crisis of identity.  One minute he was a Socialist, the next an Arab, the next he was an African. He hated the west so passionately earlier, and then later professed his unalloyed love for them.  He was, in my view, a man hungry to rule over an Empire. He had never hidden his quest and even lust to be an African Emperor. By predicting the splitting of Nigeria into two distinct entities along Islamic and Christian lines, he may have known something which we didn’t know. He may have sponsored the Chadian rebels to achieve his prophesy. Take Chad republic, Niger Republic, and part of Nigeria and annex. Create chaos, instill fear, send away the Christians in the north to the south and what you have are fragmented entities begging for leadership. He had his country under firm grip, and he had money!

When Ghaddafi met his waterloo with his people, the channel of sending money to these gangs may have dried up! In this hypothesis, all the spectacular bank robberies, all highway robberies with high causalities may have been carried out by these gangs to sustain and fund their operations. The spectacular modus operandi is very questionable!  Five weeks ago, the Immigration Zonal Command in Kano conducted an operation where they deported hundreds of Chadians and Nigeriens. This could be the motive for the attack on the Immigration office in Kano.

The second leg of my hypothesis could be international Arms dealers who have simply sat down at a posh office, ran a cash flow software on arms sales to a ‘Troubled and fractious’ Nigeria and the figures that came out was irresistible! We are simply a huge potential market that can’t be ignored.  We present such a mouth watering preposition that crisis at all cost must be instigated to achieve their cash projections! We are simply a new SBU, Small Business Unit to be created by all means. With the world media at their disposal, we hear all sort of crazy prophesies. Nigeria will not survive election! Nigeria will break up by 2015. No, sorry fells, 2030! Islamic fundamentalists to wage Jihad against Christians in the North.  Northern Oligarchy to make Nigeria ungovernable for Southern Christian president! Islamist Vowed to establish Shari’a law across Nigeria!  Blah, blah, blah! Since Islam is now the number one preferred punching bag of everyone now in the world, the Northern Nigeria has been set as the theatre.

The Producers are sitting somewhere in the west, the directors and the shooting crews are selected in nearby Chad, and the Characters are poor Nigerians. The script is written, and we are led to play this sordid tragedy which will kill our future and future of our children while the producers will earn their billions off stage!

With the crass level of decay prevalent in our societies, this script is a very easy one to carry out. Government officials will make a budget which it has no intention of executing. 80% of the budgeted funds will end up in the private pockets of Civil servants and political office holders. No infrastructures, No education for the Children, no employment for our youth, no training and equipment for the Police, not enough manpower to man our vast sprawling boarders. America spends billions of dollars in boarder security and border patrol on the Mexican border; otherwise the US would have been invaded by drug war loads and other criminals. Security is never cheap. But here we are the funds that will go into keeping us safe have been stolen by the few among us.

The level of decay in all Government agencies is appalling! Most immigration officers will issue Nigerian passports or Work permit to non Nigerians for a fee. Most Police officers will collect N20 from a driver without checking his vehicle, a vehicle which may be carrying the Arms and Bombs that will be used against him. I have seen a Nigerian soldier collecting money at a check points with my own eyes!

The Men and women at the top are averse to Top Down trickle effect. They want all the money to themselves. An average Nigerian Policeman earns less than N20, 000 per Month, which doesn’t come until he is almost dying of hunger. It is easier to cross Nigerian borders than it is to cross a dual carriage way in Abuja city. There is a vast Noman’s Land along Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroun where all sorts of criminal activities are taking place unchecked. Whoever can endure the hardship in this desert can set up his evil empire! Our flanks are open and we are as vulnerable as we can be.

Within the country, because people have been forced to provide virtually all social amenities that the Government was supposed to provide, we look for cheap labor wherever we can get. We employ illegal aliens as house helps, drivers, and security men.  Some because they can speak Arabic, the Muslims among us allow them to teach our Children. In no time they teach them all sort of ideologies right in our homes! We are so simplistic in our approach to life and we assume so much!

The carnage that has now been visited on us is the result of our collective failure as a people, and as a Nation.  Our leaders have to take up the challenge of Nation building sincerely, honestly, openly, and truthfully. The followers must have a soul searching and reset our psyche.  We need to wake up as a people created by One God and destined to live together despite our differences. If God had wanted, he could have made us all the same, but I believe there is a great purpose for being here.

Igbos, Hausas, Fulanis, Yoruba, Ijaws, Itsekiris, Muslims and Christians. We must shun Violence in all its forms. We must learn to live with each other in peace and harmony we must learn to be patient with each other. We must acknowledge that we have wronged each other and will continue to do so, but that our reservoir of forgiveness must always be full! We must teach our children love not hatred.  There is so much for everyone if only we can be Just.

As we mourn the ones we lost in Kano, I have a message for anyone who wishes Nigeria bad. BEWARE! Despite all our shortcomings, despite all our troubles, we will never be cowed. We will strive harder ever than before to defeat all the evil machinations against us. We will remain a United, indivisible peaceful Nigeria Where Christians and Muslims will live side by side peacefully, a Country that will be the envy of all nations.  Our fervent prayers have been heard by Him Who Has always Kept watch over us!

B. I. Bashir

Kano, Nigeria.

24^th,January 2012.

Goodwil speech Delivered at The Historic Church Visit by Muslims in Kano, Nigeria.

GOODWIL SPEECH DELIVERED TO CHURCHES IN KANO BY KANO COVENANT,

CONCERNED MUSLIMS OF KANO STATE.

In The Name of Allah, The Most Beneficent The Most Merciful.

We are here to deliver a Message, a message of Hope, A message of Peace, A message of solidarity. That Muslims all over Kano are with you, that they are not a source of threat to you but a source of security. That they don't wish you any harm but wish you Peace. That whatever touches you touch them, and in them you have a dependable ally.

Christians living in Kano and Nigeria in General must unite with all Muslims to fight our Common enemies: Corruption, Bad Governance, Dishonesty, Crime, Insecurity, greed, and Injustice.

We are a very Religious Nation that has refused to emphasize the very essence of Faith and Humanity.

We must emphasize that which we have in Common and downplay our differences if we are to Move our Country forward. We must desist from rumors and spreading of falsehood.
No Doubt Muslims have wronged their Christian Brothers; And Christians have wronged their Muslim Brothers.

But this is not a time for apportioning blames; This is not a time for lamentationts!This is a time of reconciliation, a time of Forgiveness, a time to look ahead! It is a Time for us to stand firmly together for our common good.
It is a time where we need to turn all stumbling blocks into stepping stones to help us achieve National greatness.

Muslims must not judge Christians by the action of a wayward Christian, and Christians must not judge Muslims by fringe elements in Islam. Suspicion breeds Mistrust and Mistrust makes us drift apart. We must be talking to each other, constantly, sincerely, openly and positively. We must engage ourselves all the time to enjoin what is good and forbid the evil.

But I believe Sometimes you have to get knocked down lower than you have ever been to stand back up taller than you ever were.

Muslims and Christians in Nigeria must unite to put all the Evil forces that are pulling us apart to shame.
Walt Disney said “all our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”.

The Qur'an says: I have made you Nations and tribes so that you may appreciate one another; the best one among you in the sight of God is he who is best in Conduct.
We must believe in our Capability to turn around our Country for good.

No Muslim is a Muslim unless he believes in Jesus Christ.

There is a whole Chapter dedicated to Mary, Mother of Jesus in the Qur'an.(Chp 19). Allah Almighty said “Wa iz qalaatil malaikatu Ya Maryamu, Innallahalsdafaaki, wa dahharaki was dafaki ala nisaa’il aalamiin- And The Angel said ‘Oh Mary,Allah has chosen thee, Purified thee and has chosen thee above women of all Nations” Al Imr4aan 42.

Also Allah The Exalted said about the Miraculous birth of Jesus Christ, “Iz qaa latil malaa’ikatu, Ya Maryamu, Innallaha yubasshiruki bi kalimatin minhus muhul masihu Isa bin Maryama wajihun fiddunya wal Akhirati wa minal muqarrabiin” Al Imraan 45.

“Oh Mary, Allah is giving you glad tidings of a word from Him. His name is Jesus The son of Mary; Exalted in this World and the Hereafter and among those nearest to God". Al-Imraan 42

 All things are possible to him that believes - Jesus Christ
We must now spread the word; The word of Unity, the word of Peace. We must tell our Christian brothers anywhere in Nigeria to be The guardian Angels of All Muslims. And The Muslims to Guard all Christians with all their strength and might.

We must tell Muhammad the Muslim Child to Be Compassionate to Emmanuel the Christian Child,and enjoin Emmanuel the youth to take Muhhammad as his bestman in his wedding day! So that when they grow up they will not be burdened with the excess luggage that we have been carrying this long!

Thank you.

Was salamu alaikum!

Bashir Is’haq Bashir

For: Kano Covenant.

Sunday, 15^th January 2011

Kano, Nigeria.

THE KANO COVENANT

Press Statement

Jointly Issued by Concerned Citizens of Kano State and the Kano State Christian Community Represented by CAN

(to be jointly known and called)

KANO COVENANT

In the last several months, the peace and tranquility of Kano State has come under severe strain occasioned by the threat as well as the actual eruption and escalation of ethnic and religious tension and violence in parts of Nigeria, especially in the North East. Some of this violence has been claimed by fringe groups that masquerade as defenders or promoters of religion to terrorize and harm innocent Nigerians, Muslims and Christians alike, while some of it has been perpetrated by ordinary criminal gangs who are bent on making an already bad situation even worse.

This unfortunate situation has led to anxiety as well as ethnic and religious tensions in Kano State thus placing ethnic and religious minorities in the State in a state of apprehension and even fear. The proliferation of rumors through text messages and the unethical exploitation of the situation by some ethnic and socio-cultural groups in the country as well as a section of the media has not helped matters at all. As Nigerians who come from or live in Kano State and who, in most cases, have no other place to call home but here, we are deeply concerned by these unfortunate developments and wish to seize this opportunity to state as follows:

a) Nigeria is a federation of multiple ethnic identities and religious beliefs governed by a constitution that recognizes the freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the freedom to manifest and propagate same without let or hinderance. The Nigerian Constitution is not an ordinary document. It is a covenant which commits and binds all Nigerians to all the principles contained in it. It is therefore incumbent upon all Nigerians, especially Muslims and Christians, to respect the principles of the constitution and give life to them through their utterances, actions and relationships.

b) In view of the above we, commit ourselves to observing this sacred covenant and call on all Muslims and Christians from, living in or visiting Kano to observe same by respecting the rights and freedoms which the Nigerian Constitution guarantees, including the right to hold divergent religious beliefs. If God had wished differently, he would have made us all either Muslims or Christians or even animists.  The fact that this is not so, indicate that such is His wish. We are not the first to be in this situation. Our prophet Muhammad (May the Peace and Blessings of God be upon him) had lived peacefully, under covenant, with Christians and Jews.

c) We further commit ourselves to doing everything within our power to help preserve and protect the lives and properties of all Nigerians living in Kano State, without regard to ethnic and sectional affiliations and religious beliefs. We make this commitment fully convinced that it is in accordance with the tenets not only of the Nigerian Constitution but also of all monotheistic religious traditions and beliefs, especially those of Christianity and Islam. God has said in the Holy Qur'an, "He who extinguishes a life is like he has extinguished humanity as a whole" and also said in the Scriptures, "

d) We call on all Nigerians from, living in or visiting other parts of the country to eschew ethnic hostility, religious intolerance and senseless violence and live in peace, harmony and brotherhood with each other so that our country, Nigeria, may know peace once again. We particularly call for the protection of all ethnic and religious minorities wherever they may be across the country because they are the most vulnerable and helpless among us.

So help us God.

                                    

Bashir Is’haq Bashir                              Bishop Ransome Bello

Kano Covenant                                       CAN Chairman, Kano

15/01/2012                                                                                          15/01/2012

SLOUCHING TOWARDS DEMOCRACY

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Slouching Toward Democracy: The Elections in Nigeria

Slouching Toward Democracy: the Elections in Nigeria

By Paul Beckett




The Perils of Democracy

To title (and set) his 1958 novel Things Fall Apart, Nigeria’s great novelist, Chinua Achebe, drew on lines from the poem by William Butler Yeats which begins:
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world . . .
And ends:
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
​(“The Second Coming,” William Butler Yeats, 1920)
Nigeria is among the world’s most dangerous countries. Nigeria has the seventh-largest population in the world (nearly 160 million), and that population is a potentially explosive mixture of peoples, regions, and religions – a mixture of almost infinite complexity. The center’s holding (to paraphrase Yeats) has indeed been challenged throughout Nigeria’s 51 years of independence. At various times, Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s longest-serving head of state (sometimes military, sometimes elected) has compared his country’s potential for violence to cases like Bosnia, Rwanda or Burundi – but on a much larger scale.

Nigeria came to independence two years after Achebe’s book was published with a British-style parliamentary electoral democracy in place. Unsurprisingly, the country’s experience with democracy since has been rocky. “Mere anarchy” (Yeats uses “mere” in the obsolete meaning of “pure” or “unmixed”) has frequently seemed close by.
As Nigeria celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence from Britain last year, the country had had elected governments for only about 20 years. The other thirty were accounted for by a succession of military governments, each a bit more dictatorial (and corrupt) than the one before. In its democratic interludes, it took Nigeria only about 40 years to get into its “Fourth Republic” (the present one); reputedly volatile France required about a century and a half to achieve the same.
Nigeria has spent enormous sums of money trying to create fair and transparent electoral systems. Yet rare is the election that has not been condemned as false by the loser (often, by everyone except the winner!). Over the 20-some years of democracy, vote-buying, thuggery, bribery, and ballot box-stuffing have been developed into high art forms. Sometimes the ballot boxes are simply stolen. Or, perhaps, stolen and stuffed. Voter registration, a vast process usually commenced too late, has often verged on chaos (if not “mere anarchy”). Polling station administration has usually seemed imperfect and sometimes much worse than that. Nigeria’s last round of general elections, in 2007, was condemned universally by observers as almost hopelessly flawed by violence, rigging and mismanagement. (For one of the reports, go here.)

As we recommend democracy for all countries, we should be conscious that democracy can be dangerous in a country like Nigeria: very dangerous. Democracy has been a significant factor in Nigeria’s horrific communal clashes (stretching from the pogroms against the Igbos in the middle 1960s to the bloody clashes in the Jos area that are on-going now). Scores and sometimes hundreds have been killed in violence in each national election.

By its nature, then, Nigeria does not seem a natural case for Western-style competitive electoral democracy. When I lived in Nigeria in the early 1970s, the number of separate ethnic groups was put at 250; the figure used now is 389. (Imagine for a moment the French, German, British or American democracies functioning with 389 different national traditions and identities in play.)

Overlaying the ethnic mosaic are traditions of regional hostility (both great and small). Since the 1980s, religion (Muslim or Christian) has become vastly more important as a basis for often violent conflict. Access to education, and therefore literacy, varies widely through the country. Finally, poverty, the national oil wealth not withstanding, is endemic, and wealth differentials are, well, worse than in the U.S.

Just as a reminder, Western-style democracy has generally flourished in – you guessed it! –Western countries characterized by a large middle class, high literacy, and a much higher degree of national integration.

In a sense, the puzzle is that Nigeria has tried so hard and persisted so long in the effort to make democracy work.



The Effort to Create Democracy

But try they certainly have, in a creative, participatory, and deeply serious way which will surprise those who know Nigeria mainly for corruption and “419” email scams.

In the latter 1970s, after a failed First Republic and a decade of military rule, Nigerian military leaders and civil society intellectuals (academics, administrators, doctors, lawyers, journalists) put their heads together to try to figure out how Nigeria could be a democracy. A kind of “great debate” occurred in a constitutional convention and through the media (it reminded yours truly of the Federalist Papers episode in our own history). A constitution was designed in which electoral success went to the leaders and the parties who best reached across the old divides of region and ethnicity, while punishing those who waged ethnic or regional political warfare. A principle of “federal character,” which essentially means fair representation of Nigeria’s constituent regions and peoples, ran through the constitution. (In some applications, it resembles American affirmative action practices.)
Thus, to illustrate with the presidential election (the one Nigerians care most about), to win a candidate must win by a majority of votes cast (so run-offs are likely), but also must receive at least 25% of the votes cast in two-thirds (24) of the 36 states in the Nigerian federation.
Other features were requirements placed on the political parties to be truly national in scope, a powerful independent, non-partisan electoral commission to prepare and run the elections, and judicial review of challenges.
What is interesting is that, while Nigeria has had three constitutional revisions since the totally disastrous First Republic, the basic elements have carried through each one.
As a distant and somewhat desultory observer, I have felt for some time, and feel more certain all the time, that Nigeria has been subject to a kind of creeping constitutionalism and a growing habit of democracy over more than three decades.

The 2011 General Elections

This month Nigeria has completed a mammoth round of elections: for the federal bicameral legislature (April 9), the federal presidency (April 16), and governors of the 36 states (April 26). The scale of the exercise was enormous in every way (very much including cost which has been estimated at more than half a billion dollars). Some 325,000 poll workers manned many thousands of polling stations scattered throughout a vast country where communications and transportation infrastructure remain limited. Sixty-three political parties were registered; at the presidential level, 21 had fielded candidates. (For more detail, go here.)

How did it go?

The ominous precursors were there. The elections, originally scheduled for December 2010, had to be pushed back twice. As usual, registration was a last-minute achievement. There were many problems with ballots, both their preparation and printing (they were complicated with many minor parties that had to be correctly listed) and ballot security. There were many efforts to rig or otherwise falsify or even to derail the elections completely. Just before the presidential election a vehicle traveling north was found to contain 100,000 ballots marked “tendered ballot papers.” Serious bombings occurred before and during the elections.

Also very ominous was a spike in violence (or arbitrary arrest) directed against reporters. This was reported by the international organization Reporters Sans Frontieres, which noted :

“Nigeria has one of the poorest media freedom ratings in Africa and is 145th out of 178 countries in the 2010 Reporters Without Borders worldwide Press Freedom Index.”


One could go on and on with such ominous reports. But: surprise!

The Economist (London) almost gushed: “Nigeria’s Successful Elections: Democracy 1, vote-rigging, 0.” They went on, “Gambling on the world’s most expensive voting system has paid off.”

The leader of an international team of observers, Robin Carnahan of the (U.S.) National Democratic Institute, said the vote was “largely free and fair.”
“There were a number of people in our delegation that observed the elections in 2007,” Carnahan said, “and they said they felt like there was a marked difference this year. That there was a determination on the part of the Independent National Electoral Commission to run a real election, [and] a free and fair election. There was determination on the part of the Nigerian people to participate in an election that really reflected their voice.”
European Union and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) teams’ reports were similar, as was the verdict of the U.S. State Department.
Sweet music!
But then the music ended.
Serious rioting broke out in most of the far northern states, with hundreds killed. There were renewed bombings on the eve of the last set of elections for governor on April 26 (and they could not be held on schedule in at least two of the states). Meanwhile, the major opposition candidate for President (Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change party) and many others are charging (what else?) “massive rigging” that falsified the election.

The Balance Sheet
As the dust clears (and, as the bodies are buried), we see that the damage has been great: more than 500 killed, many more wounded, much property loss, much personal displacement, much loss of personal sense of security. The election and its aftermath have further exacerbated the dangerous combination of anger and fear at the Muslim/Christian interface, especially in the northern states.
If the presidential election of Goodluck Jonathon of the People’s Democratic Party was generally peaceful and fair, as observers tell us, the results may still prove dangerous for the future. Jonathon (Christian, from a southeast minority ethnic group) represented the dominant party (PDP) and his victory was expected by most. He handily met the constitutional requirements for election taking nearly 60% of the popular vote, and winning 24 states outright. Meanwhile, his principal opponent, Muhammadu Buhari (Muslim, Hausa-Fulani, from Katsina) swept the 12 most northern states, but failed to carry any states outside that group (including those that in past elections have tended to associate with the “far north”).

Thus, while Jonathon’s election complied easily with the constitutional requirements for national reach, paradoxically this presidential election seemed to result in a situation of stark regional, ethnic, and religious separation that we have not seen before.

Slouching Towards Democracy?
There were a number of special circumstances in the candidacy of Goodluck Jonathon and the opposition led by Muhammadu Buhari that are too complex to deal with here. Yet, even with allowance being made for these, the 2011 elections are likely to be seen as a watershed in Nigerian politics.
Viewed in national political terms, the far north finds itself (temporarily, at least) in unprecedented isolation. Over most of the previous half century, the Muslim (in ethnic terms, mainly Hausa-Fulani and Kanuri) far north (it was sometimes referred to as the Holy North in the old days) has generally provided the core political leadership for the rest of the huge area of the original Northern Region. During the first political decade, their dominance was absolute.
And throughout the independence period the influence of the far north has been disproportionate at the national level, too. Of the thirteen men who have headed the Nigerian government (military or civilian) since 1960 (see list here), eight have been northern Muslims (one other was a northern Christian). Six of the northern Muslims have been from the core Hausa-Fulani or Kanuri states of the far north. All four of the southern Christian leaders owed their original accession to accidental factors (Jonathon, the latest, became President unexpectedly in May last year after Umaru Yar’Adua (Hausa-Fulani, Katsina) developed a serious illness and finally died in office).
Thus, the landslide election of Jonathon may mark a watershed event in the evolution of Nigerian politics. The historic pattern of at least mild hegemony exerted from the far north may have largely run its course.
This assumes that Nigeria continues its “slouching” progress (borrowing again from Yeats) toward institutionalizing electoral democracy.
Which in turn returns us to the question: Why does Nigeria work so hard and so persistently to create a functioning, stable, permanent democracy?
The costs and dangers, after all, are great. With the country’s complex ethnic makeup, and the now bitter relations between many Christian and Muslim communities, Nigerians know that they live over a political sea of magma that could, at almost any time, erupt.
Yet Nigeria persists in the effort, and, I believe, will continue to persist. At the time that Nigerians were emerging from more than a decade of military rule in the latter 1970s, intellectuals advanced many ideas for a constitutional system that would work for Nigeria, not as one might want Nigeria to be, but as it is. A number advocated indirect, or “guided democracy,” or a benign single-party system. Ultimately, such compromises were rejected in favor of straight, unadulterated winner-take-all electoral democracy with competitive parties. The preponderance of opinion was that Nigeria was too complex a country to function as a single party system, and their experience with military rule had convinced them that benign dictatorship never remains benign.
One could say that Nigeria needs to be a democracy not in spite of its staggering complexity, but because of it.

Paul Beckett taught political science at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria, from 1969 to 1976. He is co-author of Education and Power in Nigeria and co-editor of Dilemmas of Democracy in Nigeria.

REASONING, WHERE ART THOU?

REASONING, WHERE ART THOU?

The Lion woke up from Its Deep slumber, and feasted on the Gazelle,

The Horse Mulled the Husk in its mouth, and the grass that was brought forth,

The Cat meowed coolly and purred, after licking the milk in its bowl,

The rat scrambled into its hole after stealing a cheese from the kitchen store,

The fish swam effortlessly in the sea nibbling at the worms in its way,

THE NORTHERN YOUTH GOES ON RAMPAGE IN NIGERIA AFTER ELECTION RESULTS,

THE NIGER DELTA MILITANT BLEW OF OIL INSTALLATIONS,

BROAD DAY LIGHT ARMED ROBBERY IN ONITSHA,

RELIGIOUS/POLITICAL CARNAGE IN JOS,

BOMB BLAST AND SHOOTINGS IN MAIDUGURI, BORNO STATE,

OIL PIPELINE BLAST IN LAGOS,

FOREIGN OIL WORKERS KIDNAPPED IN PORTHARCOURT,

PERMANENT SECRETARY STEALS N2BN IN ABUJA,

EFCC PROSECUTES BANK CEOS FOR CURRUPTION,

ETC...ETC…ETC…!!!!!!

Even the Animal kingdom follows the natural Programming that The Almighty installed in them! Not the Nigerians! We kill and maim at the slightest provocation. Civil servants, Politicians and  Contractors steal what they don’t NEED from the Government. The Very rich  amass illegal wealth to Buy Slick cars, Build fortresses for houses, Buy Heavy Duty Electric generators, dig Boreholes, Send their children to the best schools, attend the best health centers, but remain in the same environment with over 95% of the poor populace. Those who, in some instances, only owned the shirt they wear and nothing more!

Here, the law of Magnetism where like poles repel and unlike poles attract doesn’t apply! The Government on its side only complicates issues. To start with, if a messenger is to be employed in any Government ministry or Parastatal, the prospective employee needs to go through series of interviews and tests! However, if you want to contest for an office, from the President down to the level of a Councilor, more ‘Important Criteria’ crop up!

You now need to be stupendously rich depending on which office you are vying for. You need to ‘Belong’ to the Right ‘Ethnic’ group. Your faith will now be scrutinized under the microscope! Wait a minute; have I mentioned you need to possess a ‘GOD FATHER’? You need to be pathological liar where you will promise heaven, but deliver hell yet you still have a room to maneuver yourself out either personally or through ‘Government Spokesmen’, another term for Professional liars! To contest an office in Nigeria, Your educational qualification is irrelevant. It’s something that can be done without, or in exceptional circumstances when need, can be manufactured. Promises of Development programs are reduced to campaign rhetoric and are generally generalized! Issues like ‘We will provide you with water’, ‘I will provide light’, ‘I will provide health Care’……etc! No details, No plans are required, no statistics, no timelines!

Any politician seeking office is only motivated by how much a former or current elected official has amassed in terms of Cash, Cars, or Mansions! The issue of sacrifice and serving people is only given lip service during campaigns. Or how can you justify politicians killing each other because they want to ‘Serve us’?  We have all become perpetual parasites on Government patronage. We now have, even though unofficial, people whose only qualification for being wealthy is coming either from the same village with the President, Governor or Minister. These are people who have permanent Suites in 5 star hotels meeting with Contractors or politicians looking for government appointments!

We have reduced Governance to Trading or to some instances, gambling where we stake all we have to get hit the ‘Jackpot’! The Poor people don’t matter at all. They don’t count. After all, what can they do? The Government controls most of the media be it government owned or private, It controls the security agencies, it controls the Elites and community leaders who ‘Speak on behalf of their communities’! Community leaders like the ‘Arewa Consultative forum or Northern Elders forum’.  Organizations like the ‘Ohaneze, Afenifere of Niger Delta Militant Leaders’! These are Cabals who thrive ONLY when ordinary Nigerians like you and me fight each other either on the pages of newspapers, on TV, or on the street. They flourish when we abuse each other. Their stock exchange Booms when we kill ourselves!

They know us all too well. They know how to make us laugh. They know how to make us cry. They hold the ‘remote control’ that operates out emotions!  The buttons on these remote controls range from Religion, Ethnicity, Zone, tribe and marginalization. When they choose to press any of these buttons we unleash the most bizarre carnage on each other while they and their children are in safe sanctuaries. After killing each other these same ‘leaders’ will be called upon by the Government to appeal to us to calm down- At a cost of course! We suffer when they still make colossal profits through our blood!

Nigeria shall not be great until we chase these ‘Leaders’ away. Until we break away from this bondage. Until we break away the ‘remote controls’ they use to make us zombies. Nigeria shall not be great until each citizen demands in a lawful way from his State Governor how every penny in his State is spent. We shall not have peace until we organize ourselves into groups that will demand Justice, Service and equity for all. We shall forever be going round and round in a circle until we demand the best education for our children from our states and Local Governments! We will be wallowing in poverty until we demand for the abolishing of all non productive ventures from our Leaders. We will forever lack if we close our eyes to wanton mis-application of Government funds to non priority projects.

We have been deprived of the most basic of life’s basic! We have been deprived of our dignity as a people. Our self esteem has been murdered in broad day light. We have been forced into permanent state of despondence. We have been forced to accept that yesterday is better than today and today will be better than tomorrow.

Agriculture, which accounts for a greater percentage of our GDP, has been cruelly neglected. Tourism is wishful thinking in the absence of security. Industries have been turned into 5 star hotels for rodents in the absence of Power. Governments at all levels have perfected the art of stealing to the detriment of the overall populace. We celebrate thieves and discourage genuine entrepreneurship. Being a legislator in our country is automatic dose of vaccination against poverty.

But all is not lost in this wilderness called Nigeria where every man is to himself. Each and every one of us can make a change in our attitude and personal actions. The sum result will be a total reorientation in the way we do things.  We must change the way we view each other with distrust and mischief. We should be our brother’s keepers. We must take any corrupt politician, Civil servant, Policeman and Judge as our common enemy. We must resist being manipulated by any one. We must wake up from this drift that is taking us away from the great destiny that awaits us. We must help the weak among us not mock them.  A Yoruba professor should be able to support an ‘Almajiri’ from the street of Jigawa State to achieve his full potential, not call him a ‘Mallam’. At the same time a Dangote should be able to come to the aid of an Onitsha spare parts seller with all he has got!

This is our country, this is where we belong. With all its sham and artificial challenges, we must be able and capable of lifting it to a position that will make America look at us with envy and love! We should use our faculty of REASONING like the animal Kingdom!

Bashir Is’haq Bashir

Kaduna Nigeria

20^th April, 2011

bibashir@yahoo.com