Uzodimma Drills Nigerians on the Qualities of Democracy

By Marcel Duru, Owerri

The Governor of Imo State Senator Hope Uzodimma on November 29-30, 2022 at a Political Stakeholders Conference Organized by the Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria(IPAC) Abuja highlighted

A country cannot claim to be truly democratic until her citizens are able to choose their leaders through a free and fair election.

And for an election to be free and fair, certain civil liberties, such as the freedoms of speech, association and assembly, are required. 

Thus, the political leadership has a critical role to play in ensuring that elections are free and fair.

This will include the President, Governors, National and State Legislators, Council Chairmen and Councillors, and, of course, the leadership of Political Parties.

Without the shadow of a doubt, the actions or inactions of these leaders will have a direct impact on the success or failure of the forthcoming general elections.

What they say or fail to say in the electioneering campaigns, during and after the elections, will go a long way in determining the success or failure of the elections.

Governor Hope Uzodimma added that the unfortunate events that occurred after the 2020 general elections in the USA have shown how powerful and dangerous inflammatory comments from political leaders can be, even in a country like USA with a long history of democracy.

The world watched in disbelief and shock as the followers of one of the candidates in the 2020 presidential elections in USA turned violent in response to inflammatory comments by their candidate.

Back home, it should be instructive that if our leaders make such inflammatory statements and present themselves as ethnic or religious warlords or bigots, who promote their sectional interests above national interests, they will simply be goading their followers to war and not elections.

In like manner, if they concentrate on compromising the integrity of the electoral process instead of convincing the electorate to vote for them and their political parties, they will end up derailing the elections by their fraudulent actions.

If they fail to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship, and refuse to accept the outcome of the elections, especially when they lose, they will ignite a post-election violence that could end up endangering our fragile democracy and even the country.

So, we should insist that the political class should play to the rules, and should be reminded that the beauty of democracy is that it provides for periodic elections.

This means that the losers of today can become the winners of tomorrow.

I must, however, admit that President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated an uncommon commitment to the ideals of democracy since he came to power.

Recall that the President has superintended over one general election and scores of gubernatorial and legislative bye-elections across the country.

In all these elections, the President, from both his pronouncements and body language, refused to interfere with the elections. Instead, he re-emphasised the directives that the elections must be free, fair, transparent and credible.

Of recent, Nigerians hailed the conduct of the governorship elections in Edo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states. Out of these four contests, APC, the party at the centre, won only in one.

The main opposition party, PDP, won in two (Edo and Ekiti), while APGA won in one (Anambra).

What does this say about the President who is leader of APC?

No doubt, this uncommon act of statesmanship by President Buhari is unprecedented.

More importantly, for the forthcoming elections, the President, has also openly committed himself to a free, fair and credible electoral process.

At various times, the President has identified a credible election as one of the legacies he intends to bequeath to Nigerians.

He has already demonstrated his commitment to this promise by endorsing the various reforms that would ensure the greater integrity and credibility of the 2023 elections.

A case in point is the signing of the bill on electronic transmission of results by the Independent National Elections Commission.

Thus, we all should join hands to appeal to all politicians, especially the leaders, to emulate this noble democratic culture of Mr. President so that we can have an unhindered credible elections next year..