The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has stated that Nigerian democracy is at a turning point and that forming a coalition and maybe merging with another party are essential to overthrowing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to Atiku, who was a speaker at Nigeria’s National Conference on Strengthening Democracy, held Monday in Abuja, state capture makes democratic transformation all but useless.
“Our democracy is without a doubt at a turning point. In short, it is in danger of being totally eroded. Furthermore, neither a single administration nor a single person is to blame.
“Over the years, several of us have been warning that if we lose our vigilance and do not take corrective action to protect and deepen our democracy, we may come to this pass,” Atiku said.
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He continued, “At the risk of sounding modest, I doubt that there are many contemporary senior political leaders who have spoken out and done more to promote democratic governance in our country than me. In addition to public statements and presentations, I brought some actions to our courts which produced landmark judicial decisions intended to uphold democratic principles and practices.”
Belief In Democracy
Atiku noted that much of his effort was motivated by his participation in the struggle to end military rule and his firm belief that democracy is the best path for Nigeria’s development and unity. He outlined key characteristics of democracy, including freedom to choose leaders, periodic elections, leaders’ accountability, adherence to rules, consequences for non-compliance, an independent judiciary, and checks and balances within government.
He expressed concern over the declining consistency in governance and the erosion of the people’s freedom to choose their leaders. Atiku pointed to the nostalgic references to the developmental achievements of the First Republic, contrasting them with later periods, to highlight this decline. He added that the deterioration in the people’s freedom to choose their leaders has led to what many now regard as state capture, making it increasingly difficult to remove those in power through democratic means.
Atiku suggested that the institutional capacity of political parties, the acceptance of norms by party members, consequences for non-compliance, and judicial reforms must be urgently addressed.
Need For Strong Opposition Parties
He argued that democracy cannot be sustained without strong political parties, particularly strong opposition parties. “Ownership of parties by or their subordination to individual big men is the antithesis of democracy,” he stated. “Party supremacy is critical. But party supremacy can’t be achieved through the current funding model for our parties.”
Atiku critiqued the current funding model, where parties are largely funded by governors and a few wealthy individuals, calling it undemocratic. He insisted that “he who pays the piper dictates the tune,” and advocated for democratized funding where members invest in and co-own parties.
The Vice President further emphasized the critical need for normative acceptance of party rules and national laws, especially among leaders. He asserted that laws are ineffective if not obeyed, and that party members, particularly leaders, must prioritize party supremacy and adhere to established rules. He argued that democratizing party funding would encourage leaders to abide by these rules. He also stressed the importance of consequences for non-compliance, stating that ignoring party supremacy and rules must be costly. In particular, he proposed that elected officials who defect from their parties should automatically lose their seats, eliminating any debate on the matter. Furthermore, he emphasized the need to punish, rather than reward, electoral malpractice to ensure political integrity.
Coalition-building for opposition parties
He then highlighted the necessity of coalition-building for opposition parties. He explained that dislodging a ruling party, regardless of its unpopularity, is extremely difficult without unified opposition. He argued that coalition-building and outright mergers are crucial for the opposition to build the capacity necessary to achieve their goal, citing both Nigerian history and examples from other countries as proof.
Need For Judicial Reforms
Finally, the Vice President called for judicial reform to curb judicial recklessness. He pointed out that within the past 20 years, the Nigerian judiciary has transitioned from being a beacon of democratic sustenance to becoming a major threat to Nigerian democracy. He lamented that the same judiciary that previously affirmed the primacy of parties in choosing their candidates now sanctions and promotes the destruction of parties by a few, and sometimes a single individual, with a personal agenda.
He stressed that the judiciary’s role in electoral disputes should be to uphold the will of the voters. However, he asserted that the judiciary, even at its highest levels, often manipulates technicalities to deny voters their chosen candidates, rather than confirming their preferences.
Source: Punch
