By Rev. Fr. Jude Igho, St. Michael Parish Umutu,
IT is always an attitude of evaluation in human lives and indeed, every facets of our life especially as the year comes to an end to examine how we have been faring in different areas of life such as our religious life, social life, economic life, political life and so on. While there may be much evaluation by many believers in their religious life, I am sure many are already evaluating or have evaluated how far the government of the day has performed over the past three years.
No doubt in every government, there is the good and the bad side of it in terms of policies, development, security, health issuess stirring at the goverened on daily basis, it is on this premise that every patriotic citizen or electorate in Nigeria need to peruse critically and assessed the administration in order to know where it is good or bad and use this as a measure in making a better choice in the forth coming 2019 democratic election.
Jeane Kirkpatrick, a scholar opined that “Democratic elections are not merely symbolic . . . they are competitive, periodic, inclusive, definitive election in which the chief decision-makers in a government are selected by citizens who enjoy broad freedom to criticize government, to publish their criticism, and to present alternative”.
Democratic election are competitive, so opposition parties and candidates must enjoy the freedom of speech, assembly and movement necessary to voice their criticism of the government openly to bring altenative policies and candidates to the voters. Here lies the beauty of democracy which Benjamin Barber sees as a way of living and working together. It is evolutionary and not static.
Emphatically, elections in a democratic setting requires cooperation, proper co-ordination, compliance and tolerance among citizens. It is worthy of note that supreme power is vested on the people in every democratic society as democracy is the institutionalization of freedom and the rules and conduct of election must be fair. Thus, simply permitting the opposition access to the ballot alone is not enough, but requires also, a fair and level playing ground for all parties either big or small.
Freedom of assembly for opposition parties does not imply mob rule or violence, it means debate and issue based. Though some political parties have began their usual way of campaigning, but we need to examine each of the political parties and candidate if they are to be voted for or not. We need to also find out if they are embodiment of the virtues of who we need at this trying moment in our nation to govern us. As a citizen of this nation, do you not think that some of those seeking for our vote in the forth coming elections dine and wine with autocratic style of government, vote buying, thuggery, intimidation, rigging of election, promoting insurgents such as Boko Haram, kidnapping, looting, corruption, keeping silent while farmers/ herdsmen clashes and so on ?
If this is the case, what moral justification have they to seek for our vote? And if not, what concrete steps and means have they put forward to actualised their manifestos such that there will not be procrastination of projects and development or blame it on past government?
The candidate to be voted for in a democratic system by the electorate in free and fare election, embracing the government of the day ,all political parties ,the masses and the electoral umpire ( Independent National Electoral Commission INEC) .
It is highly encouraged that citizens vote for rule of Law, security, transparency, peace and justice, selfless service, true federalism, restructuring of our country, human rights quality education, good health care services, freedom of religion, payment of workers salaries as and when due as well as good minimum wage, infrastructural development and above all God fearing. For us to get it right, we need to look out for these qualities in any candidate seeking our vote. Only these can guarantee unity and peace, growth and development.
Anything short of the above mentioned, will turn our country into a pitiable state that we may not have experienced since independent; but we pray it does not happen as to be for warned is to be for armed. What will it profit you if you receive a token to vote for one who is not different from a kidnapper and lose your life sooner or later, or perhaps if you sell your vote to vote buyer because of a token received one day and remain in penury in the next four to eight years, ( shine your eyes well well ) once beaten twice shy’.
It is about time those voted into power should be made to give account of their stewardship periodically through interactive section. This may help to check mate or pull them to be more focus in good governance. Democratic system does not elect a dictator or presidents for life but elect leaders who will be accountable to the people, and hence, such leaders must or should return to the constituents or masses at a prescribed intervals to seek their mandate in order to continue in office or face the risk of being voted out of office.
Also, there is the need for hard work, honesty and dedication to reduce the excessive borrowing under the guise of one project or another on the side of the government. The same thing apply to the huge sum of money spent in governance to the detriment of the common man in the street. And so, any leader who can not or unable to fulfil his/her electioneering promises should be called back by his constituents/constituency or be impeached out of office.
It is also advised that the fight against corruption should be tightened so that citizens can sit up in their duty irrespective of political party/affiliation.
Conclusively, democratic election is not a fight for survival but a competition to serve the people in the nation. It is a plea that when elections are over, the loser should honourably accept the judgement of the voters in good faith. Also if the incumbent party looses, it should be himblr enough to turn over power peacefully instead of declaring such election as inconclusive or annulled like it has happened in the past.
“No matter who wins, all political parties should agree to cooperate, work together in solving the common problem that bedeviled our nation Nigeria”.