HAS NIGERIA YET SURVIVED MILITARY DICTATORSHIP?
COUNT OF HER WOES
Nigeria the most populated black country in the world have
had its own share of the ups and down of governance. Having been stagnated,
suffered years of looting, corruption, intimidation, and the obedient to the
last command associated with military dictators by few generals in the country,
they also had experienced the 2-3years of jungle life of survival under the per
second bang of gun fire in the civil war before the advent of Military - military
dictatorships and finally the people’s democratic democracy metamorphosed into
the country like a forceful volcano 1999 till date and yet been gloved under
the command of Military -Civilian Dictatorship with both Celebrity head and
Concrete.
It’s transition, leadership, decision making, control and
stage theatre are not a simple pact like the exchange of the Naira Notes to
Dollars in the Currency Market without great risk or high resistances. It was a
change well resisted by some few cabals in the corridors of power and their
serving army generals then as their lords. the hunger and thirst of Nigerians
to return to a democratic government was indeed a long trek from a desert
mountain without water and not until 1999, many hero's and champions of this
cause and their numerous supporters has paid lots of sacrifices with almost
each person either present in death registry attendance or having a date with untimely
death before the era of democracy surfaced.
While some were killed accidentally, others were framed up
as coup plotters with intents to over throw one military government or the
other, governments in power were used to killing next in ranking officers and
men who they felt were imposing treats or merely their presence will truncate
their plans and they will just framed them up and the next thing is they were
killed by hanging or thrown them into the prison, some people were letter
bombed, assassinated and others have their properties confiscated, some have
their mandate decayed and some were thrown into exile, while some who felt that
the only remedy is to overthrow the government flush out those caging the
economy where nabbed and executed . These and many more were the situations
before the arrival of the Nigeria nascent democracy.
It was the period of “sorrows, tears and blood” and not
until the nation began to bubble like a time bomb ready to explode, the
military might dictators, the rich and the poor alike in the land have become
afraid and the generals decided to throw in the towel. It was in the eve of the
death of M.K.O Abiola the winner of the Presidential Election under the Social
Democratic Party SDP 1993 and amongst other factors heating up the polity then
was the executions of Ken Sarow Wiwa and his other Niger Delta brothers, the
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo imprisonment, the General Oladipo Diya death sentence
and the then sudden death of the then Head of State General Sani Abacha.
Nigeria was in turmoil and democracy as a means of
governance has become inevitable and it emerged by force as a last result made
possible by God by the sudden death of late Head of State General Sani Abacha
and using the leadership of the new Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar in 1999
which lasted not more than 6-8months.
The new Government having decided to respect the peoples
wish and bring calmness to the polity, conducted the 1999 election which
ushered in the People’s Democratic Party (P.D.P) as the Winner of the Election
with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as the President, He was lucky like the Biblical
Joseph from Prison to his home and in the advent of all the heat was asked to
Run for Presidency. I am sure Chief Obasanjo did not spend his money running
the 1999 Election, He was picked and sponsored.
It is therefore paramount to say that since 1999 till 2015
when the new election will hold, it has been the PDP in power occupying the Aso
Rock for about 16years and President Olusegun Obasanjo atop of it all. No
wonder a renowned Nigerian Afro-Prophetic Musician in the person of Late Fela
A. Kutti called all that a democrazy, these democrazy in his seer vision of
Nigerian many years ago.
Time will not permit me to recount on how the party PDP was
formed, became the winner of the 1999 election and stayed in power till date,
the Ex-generals and elites behind its successes and failures and their various interests and conflicts
areas when it tower past the Party interest lines.
I personally choose to stand my commentary unbiased and
therefore I shall consider it honor not to touch those specific's areas of
Internal components, decorum's and factions of PDP but to proceed a little
above party interests to National interest since it was obvious that the PDP
has got its own problems as well as the other opposition parties in States, and
among their various party lines and interest in the Nigeria Project.
HAS NIGERIA YET SURVIVED MILITARY DICTATORSHIP?
There's an Egbema proverb that says "A sick man who rose
up from his sick bed and then lost his son to death has not yet survived"
This was the case of Nigeria in this context as the first
mistake made by the dictators of the people of Nigeria after been through the
period I described as "sorrows, tears and blood" in the hands of Military
Dictators turn back in 1999 and hand over the costly strive power which belongs
to the people again to an Ex- General Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a retired and
not yet tired Military Head of State and re-branded him a democratic President.
This mistake has cost the country an elongate era of
corruption, dictatorship, and unfocused democratic dispensation marred with
election irregularities and voided of all competent and incorruptible
characters from attaining the position of aspiration in line with democracy
which is to deliver good governance except by crooked means.
No wonder, All
Nigerian past coup plotters, ex-Generals (Military Head of States) and plea
Bargain political Criminals want to wear a new brand tagged "Democratic
President" while some may think or argue that considering the situation of
the country as at then, that Chief Obasanjo seem to be the best choice. This I may never object only
when I am considering it from the angle of personal interest, sentiments or from
the self-serving points of view or viewing from the Nigerian popular religiouscity
mixed feelings that is the most viable way which may led to him been the best
choice as at then; a choice the decision makers later regretted, a choice which
made him Obasanjo want to perpetuate himself in power and become a lifetime
President using the Third Term Agenda, the Choice which made the former head of state General Ibrahim
Babangida want to become a democratic President, the choice which made former
head of state General Mohammade Buhari want to become an Elected President. It
was not Obasanjo’s fault per say, it was the fault of Nigerians and I
personally absorb Obasanjo the blames.
He was Once a President and retired to
rest but you called him to come back again; not an elder states man or National
Senior Adviser or a Commonwealth Guide but to come back a President and when he
finished the first term you said PDP Carry Go and that made him feel, ah this
country and this people can survive without me. So he thought he could be
better been President for Life.
It was a choice easily over looked, it was a very costly
choice foisted on the people of Nigeria; it was like an oversight, yet it was a
planned cause and an agenda borne out of selfishness and intended to shave
accountability as many uncountable rots are done in the system (Corruptions and
massive looting of the past administrations) were to be secrets kept discreet. It
was a cause distorting the Progress, total overhaul, development, stability and
the vision of a true democracy working in Nigeria. That cause of allowing
ex-military Presidents turn themselves into democratic president was and is
still an expensive joke on democracy, it is a game programming which stays out
of control.
THE POLITY TODAY (ARRIVAL OF THE APC):
The recent arrival of the APC into the Nigeria political
arena was like the group arrival of the Cavalcade. An APC which is referred by its
founders as All Progressive Congress may end up becoming an Armored Protective
Carrier which Nigerians may need to chill out of the Era of dictatorship. But
just like the Biblical Esther, they founders may need to go on a hunger strike of
forfeiting the pleasures of the exalted positions for themselves in other to
form a formidable cavalry to win.
THE FUTURE WAY OUT:
Since the PDP has been already in the center stage with
government machinery in place and good party platforms at the federal, state
and local governments grass root on its control, which is an advantage for the
party structures. It will be unfair if I fail to mention that the Carry Go
party has failed on it promises to the people of Nigeria and that so many
Nigerians both within the PDP and out of it, has come to terms that PDP may
never be the awaited messiah of a political party with the vision to steer
Nigeria out of Underdevelopment and dictatorship and that might cause PDP be in
disfavor and loss massive support from the people come 2015. Emotions are high
and if I am to decide or define the solution for the PDP, action is what the
masses are presently after than words of dubious promises at this time.
If you may quite agree with me, even those touts of the
yesterday’s who were used and dumped by PDP politicians during and after
various elections have got their own experiences and things are rapidly
changing in the electorate mindsets. Again, people have begun to understand
more of how close their liberties, economic value and National Development
depends largely on the party in power, as well as on the government policies
and Nigerians are very ready now to resist any more foisting of candidates by
political god fathers and cabals in corridors of power on them and finally, the
election irregularities are also been buckled and one can easily say now of the
difference in the Nigerian Elections between 1999, 2003, 2007 and discover that
indeed the last general election 2011 was not porous like it used to be in the
past election years, irregularities are been reduced and will still be reduced
come 2015.
Is there those politicians who still want to remain in
power? they must checkout these details and rise up to the task of their
assignments by ensuring they have human faced projects before 2015 owing to the
fact that representation is a trust and when you fail those that trusted you. Distrust
becomes inevitable and that does not mean they are fools but that you are not
worthy of the trust reposed on you.
Again, the mentality of zoning is no longer fundamental. It is quite
obvious to realize that with all the PDP apparatus of advantages, it may still
stand the chance of losing the election when once voters realized the need of change
began to pursue it.
The APC like a cluster of unions here and there coming in
alliances too cannot be underrated, as some of these parties now forming the
APC has already existed before and still have loyalties at the state level and
in the grass roots. Once again, an adage in my language says “If you underrate
a little pot, it will spill its contents and put off the fire” it has becomes
paramount that the PDP will stand up to its responsibility or loss its position
in 2015. The ruling party mighty may be saying that it is not their first time
they see the opposition parties integrates into one force against PDP but
considering the circumstances now, Nigerians/ voters emotions might spill
against the PDP.
WHAT THE APC MUST NOT DO:
The All Progressive Congress must show its progressive
mindedness by ensuring that the two big wings who are like the founders of the
party and are in the frontier of its alliances do not come out as Presidential
Aspirant 2015. Speaking of the CPC Leader former head of state General Mohammad
Buhari and the ACN Leader former
Governor of Lagos State Ahmed Bola Tinubu. Though you too are good stuff for
your party but you will end up losing your hard efforts again to PDP should any
of you both insist on bearing the APC flag come 2015, the reason being that the
coast for two of you to succeed is not clear yet and if you make the mistakes
of coming out, you are out to ruine your party chances of winning 2015
Presidential Election deliberately. Therefore better be the compass to guide
your party to success in 2015 then assuming the position of the pilot
(President in 2015 above).
COMPLICITY YET RESULT ORIENTED:
While the ruling PDP looks up to see the emergence of Ahmed
Bola Tinubu or Mohammed Buhari as the flag bearer of APC 2015, they will be
marveled to see that the new party will be progressive focused and sacrificing
the unexpected to ensure a maximum success. Secondly, the APC search for its
Presidential flag bearer should be focused on a credible candidate from the
Niger Delta Region, the Region which the sitting President comes from and this
will make the 2015 Contest thick and easy success road for the New Party.
If APC chooses to Zone their Presidential Flag Bearer 2015
to the North, they have just ruled their chances and indirectly empowered the
PDP to use their power of incumbency to the highest level and majority of votes
coming from the poor masses of Nigerians will be determined by either religious
sentiments, sectarian sentiments, Relationship and self-serving agenda and this
will work perfectly well in favors of the seating President GEJ of PDP whether
he has performed well or not. But if his opponent from the APC is coming from
the same region as him, it will leave the generality of Nigerians from the
other Zones with nothing but choice to make in their voting and I am sure the
majority will make a rightful choice which will in turn open the room for
voters to Judge PDP and the Incumbent government based on their performances by
then.
Again, it shall cut off the issues of different sentiments
which have negatively affected the opposition parties in the last general
elections and as were used in so many propaganda which has worked very well for
the PDP for 15years. And since APC do not have the populations of support as
enjoyed by PDP for the past 15 years, why not think that the best form to give
PDP an equal match is to set your goal post straight to his which I know will
give PDP a real heat.
While we look up to God to see the year 2015, I shall come
again when the posts are set and by the Grace of God I shall reveal to you who
will be the President before the Election, just like I had done in the US last
Election, The Imo State Last Election, The Edo state last election, the
Ghanaians Last Election, and the GEJ Nigerian Last Presidential Election in
2011.
While the political parties prepares for the 2015 Electoral
Year, I choose to be unbiased on this documentary, I have ceased this
opportunity to advice both the ruling party and the new formed APC, and in
doing this I have been plain to my advice because I am sincere to solve some
issues of national interest because of our future, the future of my fellow
youths in Nigeria and the future of our coming generations, “Peace averts the
presence of troubles”.
I wish all the
parties and their Aspirants Good Health, Good Luck and Success. Long Live the
People of Nigeria!!! Long Live Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
Commentary/Political Analysis Written By Aguma Onyekachi Ferdinand a.k.a (Prince Evans)
