Dr. Oby Ezekwesili
It is a known fact that the world recognizes democracy as the
best system of government regardless of its flaws. Western
Churchill says that Democracy is the worse system of government
until you try all the other forms of government.
Speaking on Thursday at the 11th Public lecture, titled:
“Electoral Integrity: The Hallmark Of Nigeria’s
Constitutional Democracy”, the Senior Economic Advisor,
African Economic Development Policy Initiative, (AEDAI),
Presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria
(ACPN) and Former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Catherine
Ezekwesili, noted that democracy is considered to be an important
process on the birth rate of developments of society, in that,
society that have stayed with democracy over the years have the
tendency to be more inclusive in the outcomes of their development
process much more than a society that choose to not to embrace
it.
She pointed out that it is the individual citizen that forms the
hallmark of a democracy, adding that, democracy is not about those
who participate in the elective offices, but the people who make
participation in the electoral process legitimate.
“Democracy is not about those who participate in the elective
offices, but the people who make participation in the electoral
process legitimate.
“An objective assessment of our democratic journey since the
last 19 years, and definitely 20 years by May next year, will
record the verdict that we are still very much in the nascent zone
of democracy as a process.
“The quality of military, political elites and the debt of
undemocratic culture and practice have worked to produce very
disappointing results of governance to citizens even though we have
been in democracy for 20yrs. Yet we must temper our disappointment
with the cautious sense of accomplishment.
“The implication of election is that there is a political
competition that must follow the due process of fair, transparent
and competitive processes. Usually, the expectation is that when
stakeholders are all parties to electoral process and do perform
their duties as clearly outlined, then the highest level of
efficient, responsibility, and transparency should be considered as
a credible outcome. It is no longer in doubt that credible and
acceptable elections have become the norm in many other societies,
but Africa is still struggling with it,” she said.
Speaking further, she said that vote buying, was known to be
happening in secret, but today, it is done under the gates of
technology, stressing that, the buyers and the sellers are
completely imperious to the undermining of our electoral processes
because the electoral process is one element in an environment
where impunity becomes acceptable.
“Vote buying, was known to be happening in secret, but today it
is done under the gates of technology; the buyers and the sellers
are completely imperious to the undermining of our electoral
processes because the electoral process is one element in an
environment where impunity becomes acceptable.
“The wider dimensions of the things that aid our society are
important as a context within which we will x-ray the problems of
electoral deficit of credibility in process, in participation, and
also in outcome.
“We must caution ourselves in a situation where the democratic
governance which are being centered around the legitimacy derived
from the vote of citizens is under threat; this means that we must
take this year’s annual lecture as the conversation that the
Nigerian people must have amongst themselves.
“According to Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, everyone has a right to take part in the government of his
country directly or through freely choosing his or her
representatives. The will of the people shall be the basis of the
authority of government. This shall be expressed in periodic and
genuine elections which will be by universal and equal suffrage,
and shall be held by the secret vote or by an equivalent free
voting procedures.
“When credible elections are conducted, there are certain
features that are generally and inherently assumed. The key among
them is that there will be a clear winner and loser, and the loser
will gallantly concede defeat by congratulating the other
candidates. This shows that the elections were freely and genuinely
conducted. Without integrity, democracy is not democracy. The basis
of democracy is the freedom that it gives to citizens; without
threat, inducement to determine the quality of leadership that is
desirable.
“We could have electoral integrity and yet bad governance. One
of the things that the elites of this country must be blamed for is
their inability to determine the cause of history for this country
in a way that will ensure that Nigeria is migrated from just a mere
country to a full nation. Nation building matters because
intractable conflicts can take down the quality of governance of
any country.
Our failure to use our early day independence to commence our
nation building process is what I considered the biggest missed
opportunity in the history of our country.
One of the discussant, Executive Secretary of the Presidential
Advisory Committee Against Corruption, (PACAC) Prof. Bolaji
Owasanoye, noted that apart from the citizens, politicians, and the
independent electoral management body, there are other institutions
like intersociety organizations, the legislatures, law-abiding
executives, political parties etc., that can assist to make sure
that the electoral processes in the country are credible. He also
blamed everyone in Nigeria for contributing in one way or the other
in undermining the electoral integrity of the whole processes.
According to him, “We are the real problem of the system,
especially, the middle class in the society. We do not define our
values appropriately. The independence electoral management is
supposed to work without any influence or control. There must be
operational autonomy to determine the agenda, and to enable the
commission to fulfill its mandate.”
“The commission must have a financial autonomy. There must be
adequacy of funding and the control of such fund; all these will
aid the electoral integrity not to be undermined.
“The media has a role to place as well and this role has to be
played with maturity. Educating voters is also very critical in the
electoral process. We need to institutionalize other kinds of
mechanism for Dispute Resolution, so that it will be easy to handle
electoral issues.
He also added that because electoral bodies are institutions
that hold public responsibilities, his strong view is that they
must be accountable to us. He also emphasized that records of
finances must be audited by directors in general, so that, public
confidence and confidence of role-players will not diminish.
Andem while speaking on the place of women and the youths which
have 65% work force in the country, said that elections are the
pinnacle to Sustainable Development. She also stated that credible
elections produce legitimate governments in which citizens feel
confident to support and to identify with. She also highlighted
some of the importance of credible elections in our democracy.
“Credible elections reduce the risk and vulnerability of women,
children, youth, economic shocks, violent and enhance
constitutional democracy. The citizens must know that religious or
ethnic based campaigns are not the way forward. The lack of
external democracy, political parties, the culture of undemocratic
consensus of chosen candidates are drivers of electoral malpractice
and ultimately vitiates and reduce the standard of electoral
integrity.”
Andem concluded by saying that the access to weapon are
dangerously fueling the system, as people are afraid to comment or
come to vote. She also spoke on the weak justice system, corruption
by Law Enforcement Agencies facilitates, vote buying, under age
voting, non-residence voting and other electoral malpractices that
contribute to the negative impact on Electoral Integrity.
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