Unholy Expedition Of Democracy To Nigeria; Its Imposition On The Nigerian Ecology By Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye

*BLOGGERS NOTE:
One of the most comprehensive write up on Nigerian Democracy

Conceptualization of the term
Democracy
In the words of Sartori (1965),
“Democracy is a political system in
which the influence of the majority is
assured by elective and competitive
minorities to whom it is entrusted”.
Here, the people and the masses are
naturally relegated into the
background.
For Schumpeter (1952), Democracy
connotes “a mechanism for choosing
and authorizing government”; while
Abraham Lincoln (1863), defined
democracy as “government of the
people, by the people and for the
people”.
Democracy in the political, academic
and ideological parlance is regarded
as a system of government meant to
cater for the yearnings and
aspirations of the people. It is
promulgated for the general interest
of the people towards the
enhancement of popular participation.
As a majoritarian rule, it could be
direct, representative and
constitutional.
Etymologically, the concept of
democracy was first practiced among
the ancient Greeks, where direct
democracy (rules by the people or the
whole body of citizens) was practiced
therein. Indeed, the word democracy
has its root in two Greek words,
‘demo’ meaning [the people] and
‘kratia’ meaning [to rule].
Basically, Democracy may be
described as a system of government
under which the people exercise the
governing power either directly or
through their representatives via a
periodic election.
The historical analysis of Democracy
As chronicled by Akinlade and Ibitoye
(2002), in “Introduction to Political
Science”; the historical development of
the modern democracy on a generic
scale is a very complex one.
It became popularized after the fall
of the Greek city-state; immediately
after the American revolution of 1776
and French revolution of 1789. The
American Revolution saw the beginning
of series of political returns which led
to the introduction of universal male
suffrage in 1845. Five years later in
1850, women’s suffrage was
introduced in America. Similarly, the
French Revolution of 1789 also
proclaimed the right of the people to
choose those who will rule them.
Hence, election and plebiscite/
referendum based on universal
suffrage at this period became
familiar features in France.
Ironically, Britain practiced a system
of representative democracy whereby
only the selected few were allowed to
participate in electing the members of
the parliament. In 1918, however,
Britain recognized the right of all
adult males to vote. Ten years later in
1928, full women’s suffrage was
introduced. Other countries in Europe
and Asia soon adopted the example of
America, France and Britain.
So by the end of the Second World
War (WW-II) in 1945, virtually all
independent countries of the world
had proclaimed their commitment to
one form of representative democracy
or the other. Even, the colonies in
Asia and Africa after gaining
independence from their colonial
masters also adopted democratic
forms of government as imposed on
them by their respective colonial
countries. Unfortunately, since this
imported democratic form of
government was un-African by
nature, it therefore, naturally
suffered all sort of hiccups in its
adaptation process with recurring
cases of military incursion, succession
and susceptibility to one party
dictatorship, etc.; as palpable in
Tanzania, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, etc.
To me, Democracy is an imposed
ideology on the Africans; yet, it is
valuable to some people and scholars
who uphold and prefer its tenets and
standards. These sets of people or
scholars, unfortunately, have only
been able to note the propensity by
which democracy had grown and has
fast-tracked the development of
America and Europe, but they had
unequivocally failed in not properly
appraising the effectiveness of
Democracy as a form of government
in Nigeria and Africa in general.
Simply put, the reason why democracy
thrives in America and Europe is
because it is rooted in an ideology
produced, believed and nurtured by
them, so they understand its
peculiarities and shall always guide it
jealously. However, regardless of the
social incivility, heterogeneity,
fragmented nature of Nigeria’s
democratic ecology vis-à-vis the
entrenchment of poverty, corruption
and high level of illiteracy that have
characterized her system; the
Nigerian model of democracy has
continued to be crippled by various
unfortunate internal and external
influences, especially through the
activities of the Britton-wood
institutions, Multi-lateral
Corporations, negative leaders and
other sub-state actors; sponsored and
supervised by agents of the West with
their stringent instrumentalities of
Neo- colonialism and Imperialism.
Suffice to Walter Rodney’s postulation
in his book, titled-“How Europe
underdeveloped Africa”, where he
rightly opined that the total adoption
of foreign language, partial espousal
of foreign culture, full appliance of
foreign systems of government and
use of foreign technologies and
products in Africa will never allow the
continent to grow. At the moment, I
wish to affirm with all sense of
objectivity that events have
vindicated Rodney. Virtually all
sectors of Nigerian economy are
centered to the dictate and control of
Europe and America. It is no gain-
saying that Neo-colonialism and
imperialism in their advanced form
and practicality now reign supreme in
Africa unlike other Asian countries
which were once running at par with
countries of Africa, but at this
moment, they have gone ahead and
are major challengers for the apex of
the political and socio-economic
structure of the international system.
India for instance was colonized by
Britain and became a member of the
common-wealth of nations but today,
India does not patronize products
manufactured or fashioned by
Britain. Immediately India got her
independence, having implemented
domestic economic policies and market
system that favoured her economy
against foreign patronage. Today,
India is rated as one of the best
globally in automobiles, production of
mobile phones, Health Services, ICT
and manufacturing of many other
electronic gadgets. She has jettisoned
English language as her official
language and had banned importation
of foreign cars. All forms of
imposition of ideology were never
allowed in India. Many features and
essential ingredients of democracy
were jettisoned in India. What India is
practicing today could be classified as
quasi-democracy by injecting her
tenets and opinions into the extant
inherited democracy from the colonial
masters and had thereto developed a
new model; which has been able to
meet its vision, most suitably
adaptable to its ecology.
In addition to the aforementioned,
Karl Marx (a renowned German writer,
scholar and philosopher) once argued
that no Nation can succeed, conquer
poverty and excel with other nations’
culture, language, religion and political
ideology. He further preached that
each nation is supposed to operate a
system of government that is
identical with its religion, culture and
language. Heartbreakingly, English
language was imposed on Nigeria by
the British Colonial Masters in a non-
disputable and incontrovertible
manner during their colonial rule from
1906-1960 and ensured thereafter
that it is the official language which
is acceptable by the seemingly timid
Nigerians.
The Evil the ideology called democracy
has bedeviled on Nigeria!
The enumerated analysis below best
captured the antithesis of the
normalcy that has characterized our
democracy in Nigeria against the
status-quo as rightly posited by the
above mentioned idealists:
Today, most especially in our primary
and secondary schools in Nigeria,
pupils and children pays fine for
speaking in mothers’ tongue. Recently,
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos
made the teaching of Chinese
language compulsory in his State.
The cultures of various ethnic
nationalities in Nigeria have been
jettisoned for foreign cultures.
Foreign attires have replaced local
attires in Nigeria, leading to the
withering -away of good values and
character. Today, sexually-provocative
dressing mostly by ladies has
triggered cases of raping and sexual
harassment.
Christianity, the most practiced
religion in Nigeria was imported to
Africa by the Colonial masters via the
use of propagandist-doctrine to
ensure that various Nigerian
traditional religions were ditched for
Christianity. It has been argued that
Christianity brought civilization to
Nigeria but it has also been confirmed
that the evil Christianity has brought
to Nigeria is more than the good.
Nigerian Politicians swears with the
bible, the symbol of Christianity
during their inauguration but ends up
looting the common wealth of their
people. Can anybody swear before
SANGO (god of thunder) and act in
contrary?
People now have sex in churches, men
are being allowed to marry men in
churches (gayism), bishops
impregnates church members at will,
politicians steals and pay tithes in
churches, pastors use their church
members for ritual rites and many
more. Christianity and Islam at
opposite ends had done more damages
than good to the Nigeria socio-
political system, the unabated war
waged against the country by the
Boko-Haram suffices.
Today, people are recurrently being
bombed, maimed and killed day-by-
day in Nigeria under democracy, since
lives and properties of the common
people and those even in the top
places can no longer be guaranteed
due to the protracted fiefdom
existing between these two religious
groups. Consequent upon this, I am
casting my vote of no confidence on
the said religions.
Before now, countless frontline
Politicians, Journalists, business
tycoons and critics, poor masses of
Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa, have lost
their lives to struggles for the
entrenchment of democratic rule in
Nigeria. The families of Afred
Rilwane, Funso William, Dipo Dina, Dele
Giwa, Ken Saro Wiwa, Ayodeji
Daramola, kehinde Fasuba, Bayo Ohu,
Segun Ogundeji, Alli Baba Mugno, and
M.K.O Abiola et al have not recovered
from the evil done them by
Democracy.
Today, armed robbers and kidnappers
operate at will; they carry out their
illicit operations unhindered. Oil
Militants who had destroyed
government and peoples properties
now benefit from democratic
government in Nigerian through
political appointments. It should be
noted here that Militants in Nigeria
are richer than average Nigerian
graduates. This is shameful!
The National youth Service Corps
(NSYC) which was once upon a time
the pride of every under-graduate
has lost its value and integrity under
democracy as Jobs can no longer be
secured after completion of the
mandatory national service.
The judiciary, which people sees as the
hope of common people has been
compromised under democracy. In
Nigeria, a politician who is confirmed
to have stolen Ten Billion Naira (N10,
000,000.00k) got sentenced to 6
months imprisonment with an option of
fine of One Million Naira. High, Appeal
and Supreme Court(s) Judges buy
mansions in choice cities in the world
like biscuit. Let me say without being
prejudicial that it will take miracle to
get Nigerian Judiciary sanitized.
Nigerian Judiciary in collaboration with
Nigerian Politicians has turned the
Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) to a toothless dog
that can no longer bite, just howl. It is
therefore no gain-saying that
Corruption and Nigerian Judiciary are
thick as thieves (birds of the same
feather).
Our highways have become deathtraps
under democratic rule in Nigeria.
Thousands are killed on our roads on
weekly basis. Armed robbers have
turned our expressways to meeting
points. Masses only hear and read
news of road contract awards on
dailies and radio with nothing being
done. Nigerian roads now kill more
than malaria.
Our Airports have become laughing
stock everywhere in the world due to
poor infrastructure. Most of them are
without power supply, water, toilets
and good road networks as bestowed
on Nigerians by Democracy.
Our leaders in Nigeria have spent over
Thirty Billions US dollars ($
13,000.000.00) on power supply in
Nigeria, yet, epileptic power supply
remained manifest. A country with the
population of over One fifty million
lives below 4,000Mwts instead of
67,000Mwts. No wonder, industries are
relocating to Ghana by the day due to
woeful power supply in Nigeria.
Confirmed information has it that
Ponyan, a community in Kogi State,
Nigeria has not had electric power
supply for the past 1806 days.
The education system in the country
has been bastardized by people
masquerading as democrats in
Nigeria. As at today, the best
Nigerian University is not rated
amongst the best 5000 in the world.
Industrial actions have paralyzed the
education sector.
Polytechnics and Colleges of education
lecturers have gone on strike for over
30 months in the last 14 years of
democratic rule in Nigeria. Secondary
and primary school teachers have also
gone on strike for over 24 months
from 1999 till date. It is on record
that most average Nigerian Politicians
send their children to top American
and European Universities, while top
civil servants send their wards to
private Universities in Nigeria and
Ghanaian Universities and Tertiary
Colleges.
Agriculture has been extricated from
the map of Nigeria. Agriculture has
been jettisoned by Nigerian leaders
for oil and this has brought more
catastrophes to Nigeria than blessing.
The emergence of oil in Nigeria marks
the beginning of corruption, mala-
administration, sectionalism, etc.
Election is regarded as the
constitutional weapon of change in a
democratic system. However, it is
affirmative that the worst election
ever conducted in Nigeria was
supervised by a democratically elected
government of Olusegun Obasanjo
under the administrative supervision
of Professor Maurice Iwu. I am
referring to the charade called the
2007 elections. While the Military in
their days conducted credible
elections (one of which was annulled),
civilians have failed to do so. It took
Ekiti State, Nigeria seven years to
settle its election case at the law
courts. Elections in Nigeria are either
rigged through the ballot or the
bullet. What a shame!
The Heath Care Service is another
mirage in Nigeria. General Hospitals
across Nigeria have become places
where patients collect mere
Paracetamol and folic acid for serious
ailment. Having siphoned the funds
meant to fix the Nigeria health or
medical institutions, most of the high
profiled Politicians that ought to fix
Nigerian Hospitals now travel abroad
to treat headache.
Infrastructures like houses, estates,
companies built even by the colonial
masters and the military government
have either been shared or cheaply
sold by the Nigeria government in the
name of privatization and
commercialization as applied to the
corporate ownership of Ajaokuta Steel
Company, Nigerian Tele communication
(NITEL), National Electricity Power
Authority (NEPA) now Power Holding
Company of Nigeria (PHCN), National
Insurance Company of Nigeria
(NICON), NICON Luxury, etc. would all
suffice. Even, The Lagos Third
Mainland Bridge built by the Military
remains a landmark that no Civilian
government has been able to match
till date. Today in south west Nigeria,
there is no kilometer of road on dry
land that will not last for four years
before its completion at least at the
costs of one Billion Naira.
To make the matter worse and
more worrisome, the Nigerian Police
who are expected to be the friends
and protector of the common people
are now agents of armed robbers.
They shoot at will; they rape innocent
ladies at will; they kill future leadersl
students during peaceful protests,
like common rat! This is disastrous for
the country’s future.
Democracy in practice recognizes
viable opposition as one of its basic
tenets to thrive towards the
realization of its set goals. But in
Nigeria, Governors and President
orders the arrest of perceived
enemies or oppositions as they wish.
Posting and writing on the social
media like the Facebook is now being
done with ultimate caution, as no one
is willing to die.
Unemployment is increasing daily in
Nigeria without hindrance. 2012 World
Bank report on Africa made it known
to the public that over 74Million
proportion of about 160 Million
Nigerian population is unemployed.
Political Parties in Nigeria defends
corrupt members against arrest or
questioning by anti-graft agencies.
Instead, they sponsor, promote and
bankroll kidnappers, bombers, armed
robbers, thugs and social miscreants,
etc.
With the clinically discussed issues and
indicators in the fore-going, I make
bold to state that democracy is
nothing but a scam in Nigeria! Rather
than assisting the system, it has
pushed the Nigerian system further
into backwardness and uttered
disintegration.
THE WAY OUT
As I have unambiguously stated while
conceptualizing democracy above;
being an ideology of the West
(Europeans, Americans, etc.) with
features and ingredients best suitable
for the ecology of Europe and
America. We should not also forget
that the nature of their religion,
environment, culture, language and
socio-political realities were all put
into consideration when propounding
the concept of democracy. India was
intelligent enough to realize these
facts early enough, in the 70’s and
today, they are better-off.
Ironically, this was not the case of
the most populous black continent as
Africa was given any consideration
and was not in the original scheme
when designing the foundation of
Democracy. This unholy and wicked
imposition on Africa was not only an
after-thought but a systematic ploy
directed to maim, kill, confuse,
exploit, steal, destroy and subject
Africa and its component Nations into
a state of perpetual enslavement and
cacophony.
Plato, a well celebrated and most
scholastic Greek Philosopher of
blessed memory, in his book titled-The
Republic, argued that democracy is a
government of the Mob (Mobocracy).
He wrote, “Democracy is like when
everybody directs a ship and
meanwhile, a ship should be directed
by experts who could have received
enough managerial, technical and
administrative training.”
Indeed, evaluating the Nigerianized
Democracy (the Nigerian form of
Democracy) via a critical assessment
of day-to-day activities of the
present-day leadership of our
democratic government in Nigeria;
against the fundamental expectations
that are palpable in the advanced
models of democracy by any unbiased
political analyst will only affirm the
fact that this form of government
has done more injuries and damages
than good to our political system.
Leaders are sentimentally and
emotionally voted into power by the
illiterates, mob, rabble-rousers and
the crowd. Merit, quality, know-how
and core values of integrity are
usually sacrificed for mediocrity in
the Nigeria. As a matter of fact, an
animate stone with huge capital will,
without stress, win election in Nigeria.
Why? It is simply because Africans/
Nigerians share different orientation,
languages, norms, values, perspectives
and tradition with those who invented
this aberration called Democracy.
Hence, they find it difficult to
habituate or adapt successfully to its
ecology.
Following the above well catalogued
affirmation, I hereby wish to call for
the abrogation and nullification of
democratic rule in Nigeria. I urge all
Nigerian Academics, most especially
the political scientists and lovers of
comparative politics to study how the
Indians and Chinese et al were able to
fix their countries’ initial hitches and
complications without the dictation or
intervention of the West.
Finally, while agitating for the
abrogation of Democracy, I say no to
military rule and incursion but wish to
call for a Sovereign National
Constitutional Conference, where all
the meaningful stake-holders, egg-
heads, ideologue and respected
political leaders in the country are
expected to cross-pollinate ideas and
fashion-out a mutually agreeable
most-appropriate system of
government that will contain our
diverse culture, tradition, norms,
languages and address other
peculiarities attributed to Nigeria.

Adeleye, a Writer, Social Critic and
Public Affairs Commentator, writes
from Magodo Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria.
+2347039168005