Democracy is arguably characterized by the people. It’s equally worth noting that elections are peculiar to democracy. In other words, any democratic system is required to embrace an electoral process. Also, election is synonymous with the decision of the people otherwise known as the electorate.
In elections, the voters or electors are presented with alternatives that they can choose among a number of proposals designed to settle an issue of public concern. Hence, in such an exercise, electors are expected to act as kingmakers. Elections are apparently central to the existence, stability and development of democracy.
On December 28, 1978, the leaders of the then Nigeria’s five political parties issued a unanimous pledge to the nation, to keep elections free and fair. The leaders in question promised that their leadership to the country would curb excesses in speech and behaviour by their party members.
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They further stated they would restrain their members from engaging in political thuggery and ensure nothing was done to disrupt the peace of any community where election is to be conducted or upset the unity of the nationhood. Above all, they disclosed they would accept the verdict of the electorate in the elections which they would help to make peaceful, free and fair.
Recalling the recent Nigerian electioneering eras, even the blind could attest that several things are no longer at ease as against what it used to be. The assertion that things have fallen apart is not unconnected with the fact that practices to include but not limited to thuggery, election rigging and vote buying are now the key attributes of most elections. It becomes pathetic when realized that the supposed kingmakers (electors) are the primary cause of the ongoing unfortunate situation.
If the above perception is anything to go by, then a sane person would wonder the reason a ‘kingmaker’ would partake in any action targeted at rigging a scheduled election let alone indulging in such dirty acts as thuggery. It’s more baffling to acknowledge that those electors – particularly the youth – who sell their birthright would stand to gain nothing, not even reasonable cash.
Even those who would not want to associate themselves with activities that could lead to election rigging would prefer to act like mere onlookers as long as the election lasts. Funnily enough, most of them would be present at the polling unit just to engage in frivolous interactions like issues bordering on sports, emotional relationship or what have you, and not to cast their votes. When scrutinized further, you would observe that the majority could not even boast of a voter’s card.
Owing to the acknowledgement that electors are ostensibly the kingmakers, the constitution of most countries across the globe, which Nigeria’s isn’t exceptional, captioned a clause that relates to ‘Vote of no-Confidence’. The aforementioned term is a constitutional matter that empowers the electorate, or the governed, to recall any elected officer if found wanting or culpable.
In such cases, the concerned electors are required to act as a body by collectively endorsing a written document, stating they no longer have confidence in a particular elected official thus ordering him/her to return home. This tool shows the electors are meant to be in charge, both in the pre and post–election eras.
It is as well worthy of note that the teeming Nigerian electors have equally abused such a lofty democratic tool. They are often marred by apathy when expected to act as one indivisible body, thereby allowing themselves to be cajoled into a state of mockery by the elected officers who they have apparently chosen to worship.
The primary consignment of a lawmaker is to air the collective view of his constituents in the Assembly where he/she had been sent to represent the people in question. It suffices to say that there is no tangible reason a legislator who does not have a befitting constituency office would not be recalled by his/her constituents.
It isn’t anymore news that most of the present lawmakers in countries like Nigeria cannot boast of a constituency office in their various constituencies let alone observing ‘Constituency briefing’ as a priority. Some don’t even know the ward chairmen of their respective political parties; they are invariably interested in acquiring such information when elections are around the corner.
Worse still, the affected electors would claim ignorance of the injury they have collectively incurred in the process. In spite of the hurdles and hardship occasioned by their representative, they would still wear a ‘happy slave’ physiognomy, pretending that all is well with them, especially when they encounter the physical presence of the politician in question.
This trending unwarranted and mind-boggling attitude of most Nigerian electors has continued to rape the god-sent democracy. The gravity of the unending rape is arguably colossal than we could think of.
It is, therefore, needless to state that rebranding Nigeria’s electoral system is indeed long overdue. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) needs to start taking some pertinent actions as regards the country’s electioneering activities. It ought to be willing and ready to sanction any political party caught in any anti-election acts, especially while a certain election is being awaited.
Similarly, there’s a compelling need to carry out an all-inclusive sensitization among these individuals known as the electorate before the worst is witnessed. Their mindset needs to be restructured to enable them realize that power actually belongs to them, thus they shouldn’t indulge in any act that could ridicule their persons.
Hence, it’s high time the governments at all levels introduced voter’s education into their various schools’ curriculum.