#SomberTuesday! The first set of the 2023 elections (to choose the president and members of the National Assembly) took place this past Saturday, the 25th of February. Kudos to the Nigerians who went out to vote, and did so peacefully. The INEC officials and election observers who contributed to making the process work as intended are to be commended. Yet, an honest assessment would indicate that there were troubling electoral malpractices, pockets of violence, and voters not being able to vote because INEC had logistical and technical problems.
The Bivalent Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) machines malfunctioned in some polling units. Some of those who wanted to buy votes did not allow the currency scarcity stop them. They put the cashless economy into practice by making electronic transfers to induce voters to vote for people who may work against their interests and care nothing about them.
The currency change and the lack of physical naira it produced continues to make life unbearable for most Nigerians. Routine activities of daily life are now unbelievably difficult, even impossible. There is evident economic decline. Fears of electoral violence, vote-buying, manipulation, and rigging are now in graphic display in some locales.
Some political parties have rejected election results thus far, and have like President Olusegun Obasanjo, called for new elections.
Where are the free and fair elections that Nigerians expect and deserve? What does this situation portend for our fledgling efforts at democratization? Will those who win these elections and those scheduled for March 11 (voting for state governors and local government councilors) do anything they have pledged, promised, and sworn to do to meet the needs of Nigerians? The majority—poor masses, youths, and women, as well as people living with disabilities and ethnic minorities will bear the brunt of the failures. So will the system that we said we want—democracy.
Insecurity has become normalized. Victims and survivors and their families suffer grave financial and psychological trauma. Similarly, victims and survivors of natural disasters, ethno-religious conflict, and insurgencies, who are internally displaced suffer material, psychological, and existential trauma. Without addressing these problems and many others, such as weak political institutions, tens of millions of out-of-schoolchildren, unemployed, and underemployed youths, and overworked, underpaid workers, infrastructure decay, and poor policy implementation. How will Nigeria reach its full potential under these circumstances?
#EndSARS youth protesters are to be commended for voting in large numbers, putting muscles behind their call for good governance, as well as ending police brutality, extortion, impunity, economic inequality, marginalization and targeting of youths and other minorities, and political violence. They were subjected to state-sponsored violence and brutal suppression. Like them, most Nigerian voters want to enjoy the dividends of democracy, including deep commitment by politicians to democratic principles, a well-managed and thriving economy, personal and human security, and the ability to meet their basic needs.
Two years on, and amid the ongoing elections, #Nigeria should remember the great contradiction presented towards democracy by the massacre of peacefully demonstrating youths at #LekkiTollGate & other locations and resolve never to do anything like that again. #NigerianWomenArise #EndPoliceBrutalityinNigeriaNOW #EndSars #EndSWAT #EndImpunity.
Like the voice in the wilderness, I want all Nigerians to think about this Howard Zinn’s statement as relevant to building a democratic political system: “Civil disobedience, that’s not our problem. Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves, and all the while, the grand thieves are running the country. That’s our problem.”
Like the voice in the wilderness, I repeat once again: Let the kleptocrats give back our stolen wealth so that we can fix our infrastructure, schools, hospitals, and also offer worthwhile social protection to our people. Let the masses enjoy the full benefits of citizenship in Nigeria. Let the leaders and political class repent and build peace with justice. This is no time for politics as usual. The people elected should be those trusted to bring justice, equity and human security to the entire country, not expedient, unethical and egocentric individuals determined to dominate for self aggrandizement or sectional gain. We don’t need oligarchs’ continued domination. We also need a government that puts the interests of majority of citizens first.
Prof. Mojúbàolú Olufúnké Okome is a professor of political science at Brooklyn College in New York.
