“Any society that has some of its best and brightest wanting to govern on its mainstream platforms is safe.” —Ebuka Onyekwelu
A critical supposition of the democratic government is that the people themselves will take full ownership of their government by taking full control of their political processes. This is based on the fact that there is no government in a democracy without the political processes. Hence, to take ownership of the government, the people needed to first take charge of their political processes. This then leads us directly to party politics and how it can be harnessed to deliver good governance. Anambra APC has been shaped over the past few years by Sir Paul Chukwuma, to be able to come up to speed with the demands on political parties in a democracy.
By far, good governance is a process that starts with the events leading up to the emergence of candidates in various political parties before the election. If the processes are tailored towards featuring only the best and most prepared, the contest will spring up different, but equally bright candidates across party lines. Therefore, there will be a real competition based on ideas. Any society that has some of its best and brightest wanting to govern on its mainstream platforms is safe. That society also fulfills the quintessence of democratic governance in principle and deed. Unfortunately, these things cannot be experienced without the involvement of the people.
During the recently concluded APC ward delegate congress in Anambra State, Sir Paul Chukwuma mobilized party members to fully participate in that process. Interestingly, the congress had people of unquestionable character as part of Chukwuma’s delegate list in the congress. There were issues and heavy concerns that the process was going to be hijacked, but because some critical stakeholders did not just send their “list” or stayed away from that process, such attempts to manipulate the congress proved to be far more difficult to the extent that in many local governments, the congress delegation did not show up because of the quality of people that turned up to take part in an openly democratic congress. The import of this can be better appreciated when examined in the light of the responsibility democracy places on the people. Good governance is not an event that starts with the general election. But a process that starts ahead of the primary election, with internal activities of political parties participating in the election. If that process is properly followed, the primary election will also be seamless.
Therefore, as sermons on “internal party democracy” have become fanciful with absolutely no essence, it is important to note that the quality of participants who shape the buildup to every election in various political parties, are the ones calling the shots in that system. In a party-based democracy such as Nigeria, there is nothing anyone can do when the leadership the people deserve is not on the ballot. In other words, the people are limited when such leadership that they say they deserve is not an available option for them to choose from.
The chances of democracy becoming a beacon of good governance delivery in Nigeria would continue to depend on who the people present to participate in the country’s election across Nigeria’s mainstream political parties. As long as the process for selection of party’s candidates is manned by less ambitious, less informed, and less patriotic citizens, who see every election season as their special business season with zero interest in the consequences of their decision, the general election no matter how credible has far fewer chances of producing the desired leadership.
But if mainstream political parties can mobilize some of their best hands in selecting their flag bearers just as Sir Paul Chukwuma did across the 3326 wards in Anambra State recently, there is a higher chance that these informed participants will take a bold step that will shape the outcome of the political party’s primary election, which will, in turn, impact the options available for the electorates to choose from. Until this fundamental process in our democracy is deepened and saturated by certain kinds of participants, electing credible leadership during the general election might continue to remain evasive.
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