By Mercy Onyenweli
Democracy is a global phenomenon which some progressive nations have embraced due to its immense advantages in promoting good governance. It is basically built on expression of the will of the People, but as beautiful as the tenets of democracy are, my Country has not been lucky with the practice of democratic movement , Nigeria politicians have consistently corrupt and abuse the process of democracy, thereby dancing around it to the detriment of the helpless citizens who are left with the choice to accept the Nigeria democracy as against the one applicable in other clime.
Democracy has obviously shifted ground in Nigeria with introduction of conflicting objectives and strategies between the elites and the masses.
Election not selection is the process of allowing citizens to choose their leaders through the ballot without manipulation or interference by those who are in charge of overseeing the process.
Records have shown that when the process of an election is devoid of manipulation and fraudulent practices, it is easy for the contenders to accept the outcome of the election without argument or rancour. The outcome of a credible election ascribes seal of authority to the position and invoke the spirit of patriotism with ease from citizens.
In Nigeria, we have always consoled ourselves with sayings that our democracy is growing, but how long are we going to continue with a system that is growing from bad to worst? Electoral malpractice and exchange of money to vote has become the order of elections from counsellorship position to Presidency.
Due to incessant emergence of leaders through elections that lack transparency and credibility, the country has suffered lack of infrastructures and patriotic behaviors from Citizens. Despite the sensitization, awareness program carried out by some non-governmental organizations on the need to eschew vote buying, electorates have seen election as the only opportunity to eat from politicians, therefore, have continued to display mental poverty to the extent they can’t cast their votes without being induced with money.
Having understood the psyche of the people, Politicians are more worried of amassing money that they would use to buy the People ‘s votes and coerce the people to vote them into office than being worried of people-oriented policies that will engineer development to improve the society.
Nigeria political history has showed that the People are coerced with money, 20,000, 15,000, 10,000, 5,000,2,000 respectively as the case may be to vote leaders into power who after assuming power devise every possible means to first of all recover the money they spent before and during the election.
The institutions are not better of as they have all compromised democratic values. The institutions in charge of conducting elections in Nigeria has over time disappointed the people through their activities during election. It was so glaring in 2023, as many Nigerians were seen destroying their voters card , calling for Military rule . Rather than carrying out the mandate of their agency, they are controlled by Politicians at the Federal and State level. that is the height of abuse of democratic values.
The case of Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) at the Federal while State Electoral Commission at state level have willingly become tools in the hands of Politicians.
Nigerians can easily predict who would win any election based on the party in power because history has shown that the Institutions that are empowered to oversee the smooth running of any election have all compromised by carrying out the dictates of politicians. Politicians use every possible means to frustrates other political parties to deliver all the elective positions in any election to their party.
Often times, such impositions are resisted by some party faithful which may result in assassin, gun shots and killing of party members. However making politics the sole business of money bags and gun runners.
Imposition , instead of election has become the order of our democracy. Due to countless abuse, leaders who satisfy the desires of their godfathers first before considering the people are on the rise and that is endangering the Nigeria Democracy.
If Nigeria is to be liberated from the shackles of hardship that has strong grip on its survival, both political leaders and the Citizens must rise up to stop the trend of vote buying and selling, Citizens must learn to stop collecting money and gifts from Politicians to vote them.
Politicians should stop manipulating the Institutions to favour their party.
As a Citizen, you have an ambition to serve your people, start building your track record with people oriented antecedents and plan towards bringing to the table what will impact the Nigeria Society positively.