“An anti-corrupt leader cannot possibly emerge through a corrupt electoral process” ―Ebuka Onyekwelu
The coming governorship election in Anambra state has once again exposed the relentless odds facing Nigeria’s chances of development. Irrespective of how flattering some economic ideas projected to move the country forward may be, without an advanced political culture, almost nothing can come out of such an economic proposition. The reason for this is not farfetched: politics control economics. Beyond economics, politics also controls the dynamics of social evolution. In a more general term, politics simply controls the society; where it goes per time, and how it chooses to go. Therefore, if our politics do not reflect the exact measure of decency, modesty, and prudence that is expected to colour our economic choices, there is hardly any chance for tough, disciplined, and appreciable progress in all other spheres of endeavour within our society.
When democracy is construed as a system of government that promotes economic development, it is predicated upon the simple logic that the system can, and will create the right political atmosphere that in turn will, as expected, drive the other pillars of the society towards consistent progress. It is assumed that at every stage of an open election process, credibility, modesty, basic honesty, patriotism, quality and just about anything else that sums up prudent aspirations of the people from their government, must take the centre stage. Those should, as anticipated, shape the sacred process of electing a leader. This, to the extent that an anti-corrupt leader cannot possibly emerge through a corrupt electoral process, at least this presumably, is fundamental. Hence it makes sense when Bertrand Russell opined that “democracy is the process through which people choose the man who‘ll get the blame”.
It, therefore, goes even without being said that for a process that bestows such responsibility, it must live above board to be able to expect that the leadership it produced also does the same or at least, are produced from a credible process with chances of meeting not less than basic aspirations of the people from their leaders. What this means is that ultimately, every process in electing a leader counts. And this is why not just the General Election but also the Primary Election and the process each of the phases may take, matters. This is especially important because ours is a party-sponsored democracy. This is to say that it is only political parties that can produce an elective political office holder in Nigeria and for this, our political parties at least assume a supervisory position in our democratic experience.
Each stage of the democratic process in Nigeria is almost always fraudulent
In Nigeria, the political process masquerading as democratic has been evasive, thereby deepening the elusiveness of chances of accountability at each stage. In consequence, some people have argued that what Nigeria has is a system of masked election, not necessarily a democracy, although Nigeria has continued to insist that it has a working democracy. However, the fault lines are bold and unmistakable. Each stage of the democratic process in Nigeria is almost always fraudulent, and there are no questions, no explanations, and no answers. All these go to make the worst out of the system. The excessive monetization of Nigeria’s politics is a major threat to democracy in Nigeria. The belief, which is now mainstream, that with the right money, you can win any election in Nigeria is anything but pro-democratic. It is a reinforcement of a corrupt system that simply exalts the acquisition of money. This is in addition to the fact that it has already alienated some people from the process thereby defeating the essence of democracy which presupposes that every eligible adult has a voice and an equal opportunity within the system to vote and be voted for. It has now become a most dangerous system, where money assumes omnipotent in character.
That is a total of N45 million for purchase of form to contest for President.
In 2019, the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APC) sold its Presidential nomination and expression of interest form for N40 million and N5 million respectively. That is a total of N45 million for purchase of form to contest for President. In the same year, the APC sold its governorship form for N22.5 million. The Senate form then was sold at N7 million and House of Representatives for was sold at N3.85 million, while the House of Assembly form was sold at N850, 000. The Peoples’ Democratic Party –PDP, on the other hand then sold its Presidential form for N12 million and the Governorship form for N6 million. While Senate form of the PDP was sold at N4 million, the House of Representatives form was sold at N1.5 million, and House of Assembly sold at N600, 000. Major political parties and the leadership of these parties make the most of election season to raise stupendous amounts of money that are largely unaccounted for. This is the fundamental problem the Nigerian political system is facing. The very first outing in the political landscape is fraught with impunity, uncharitable extortion, and perpetual inability to account for whereabouts of funds raised by party during sales of forms. Not only forms should not be this expensive, but no one seems to know where the money goes. And it is never talked about. During electioneering, donations by individuals and corporations are really known. There is so much secrecy surrounding the management of funds within the political arena. Little wonder political party leaders in Nigeria are multi-millionaires, and some billionaires in their own right, with no traces of any legitimate business or even a viable work history. From one party chairman to another, at the national, state, local government and ward levels, the same problem has continued; men and women who can milk aspirants of their money and get away with it. So it happened a few years ago in Anambra where the ruling party will announce that it is holding local government election and people will buy forms only for the election to be cancelled and later when the election was again announced, they were required to pay another money for nomination and expression of interest, which they paid for previously.
The odds are against the people who wait in vain for the dividends of democracy
The coming governorship election in Anambra has yet shown that Nigeria’s political parties are determined to thwart democracy in Nigeria. In 2019, PDP sold governorship form for N6 million. Surprisingly, in 2021, the same party is selling the same governorship form for N26 million! And so far, no fewer than thirteen people have paid and picked the form to contest for the governorship on PDP’s platform. This development is a clear depiction of excessive monetization of Nigeria’s democratic process which tends to encourage financial corruption and recklessness. For someone to bring out N26 million and be willing to throw it away, because he or she may win or lose, in pursuit of public office, it is a demonstration of excess idol funds, faith in recouping spent funds, and a hint that the contest is for people who can muscle a few billion they are willing to gamble with. In all instances, the odds are against the people who wait in vain for the dividends of democracy to be delivered to them.
Although for the coming Anambra gubernatorial election, the APC and the ruling APGA has not started sells of nomination and expression of interest forms, it is perceptible that they may likely not do any better than the PDP. The APC is the party at the centre, so at least for aspirants on the platform, its patronage can be based on the fact that with “federal might” they may win. And so the price may be higher than that of the PDP. And for the ruling APGA, chances are that the party may bill its aspirants way higher than the PDP.
In any case, the fact resonates that for Nigeria to get its democracy working for the good of its people; its politics must be fixed. And to fix its politics, the highhandedness of Nigerian political parties must be curtailed. The party structure and system is the first impression of Nigeria’s democracy model and necessarily has to be pro-democratic by all estimation imaginable, and not some arrogant money guzzler in a peaceful business of wild extortion that gives confidence to those it empowers to govern, to steal public money with reckless abandon.
♦ Ebuka Onyekwelu, strategic governance exponent, is a columnist with the WAP
- Anambra 2025 Governorship Election Might Be an Open Contest - April 24, 2024
- Anambra Assembly Passes Bill To Prohibit Secret Cults - April 24, 2024
- 2024 Aguata NBA Law Week: AG, Prof. Ifemeje Touts Landmarks and Expectations - April 19, 2024
