-January 24, 2024, News/Interviews
A renowned Professor of Oral Literature, Folklore and Cultural Sciences, Godwin Gabriel Darah, in an interview with our editor, Mark Orgu, during the week had said, that, Nigerians should not be deceive about the so called democracy, but should worry more about the authoritarian system that has not taken the country backward. Prof. Darah also doubt if the country will make progress with the kind of structure it runs as democracy in disguise.
The excerpts
Any need to rework democracy
They define it by just holding election, but I don’t think the problem is democracy. The problem is, the structure of the country is terribly wrong, and is like having nothing. Sadly, it is the survival of the fittest or of the richest? The structure had to be re-done to restore what I call federation- a federal system must be established first. If we have a federal system, many of the issues that the federal government is handling now will not be there, because it is very easy for the federal government to be a dictator, and besides, they have too many functions. Even the power given to INEC now, has given them the power to commercialise elections-those who spend more money are sure of victory. A sad and dangerous commentary.
The late Prof. Eskor Toyo, from Akwa Ibom, a political scientist used to call Nigerian democracy, Plutocracy, a government of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich.
How do we move out of this mess as a country?
The first step is to restructure the country into a federation, then things will fall in place. There is no amount of good governance you can get now based on what is currently on ground. Elections were held last year February and March, and we are still getting results about a year after through the courts, oh! Is that how a country that wants to progress run, haba, no.
What is your assessment of Courts ruling on all elections, and why has the Judiciary become too powerful in this democracy
That is where money speaks, as the electorates seem to be irrelevant now. If Elections are held in Kenya or South Africa, within two days, the results are known, so, why is our own different?
So, can Democracy survive without greater input of the judiciary?
What do you need the Judiciary for, the structure is already distorted, and it can be manipulated with all the power given to the Federal government. Federal government is in charge of the Tribunals, Appeal Court, and Supreme Court. We can’t make progress that way. Now, if we are operating a federal system, all the centralization will vanish. The Americans will have elections, within few days, it is settled. Do you know what it means to hold a legal matter for one year after election, and the expenses involved?
So, we are not practicing Democracy
If we don’t have a federation, we don’t have a democracy. What Nigeria is operating is like military system, and they are the one who drew up the constitution. They fashioned it to suit their own purpose. The 1999 Constitution is Abacha’s Constitution, and he wasn’t a democrat. It was a 1995 conference that that Constitution was drafted. It is a military system. Democracy is not defined by election alone. It is defined by the centralization of power and authority. If this is not obtainable, then, it is an authoritarian system and it is another word for military system. Nigeria is operating authoritarian system, not democracy. Do you think, democracy is just about holding periodic elections, no. Elections that cost so much to conduct without credibility in all or even majority.
2022 amended electoral act, Nigerians though, it was as relief but became a nightmare
I read the electoral act, very voluminous, but if you don’t have a federalised autonomous system where region or state are in charge of their affairs, amending the electoral act is meaningless, even the electoral act says, a presidential candidate can spend up to N5b. Where are you going to get N5b. The only way forward is after restructuring, we can talk.
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