Let’s go back to issue-based politics

Political contests in Nigeria often pose severe threats to the nation’s fragile peace and stability, always degenerating into battlefield situations where lives and property are lost.

The 2015 election is not likely to be significantly different from the ones before it. War drums are already being sounded and the political combatants are already arming themselves for the impending confrontation.

The Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Bamanga Tukur hinted recently that the 2015 “war” will be as fierce as ever when he said, “I am now convinced that the opposition groups are preparing for war against the PDP as we march towards 2015. We will match them action for action, wit for wit, strength for strength, and we will put them where they belong as we have been doing since 1999.” (See The Tribune, April 21)

Election times have always been periods of turmoil, heightened violence, instability and bloodshed. The high profile killings of Chief Bola Ige, Harry Marshall, and others which preceded the 2003 election remain unresolved because such politically motivated assassinations are always masterminded by powerful murderers who operate far above the law of the land.

It was also like that in 2007 when a prominent political player said the contest would be a do-or-die affair. We still remember the post election violence of 2011 when at least 10 youths on national service were slaughtered in Bauchi and people of southern origin were targeted by thugs in the north because a southern minority Christian won the election.

Let us quickly admit that since politics is all about competition and struggle for the control of public resources and positions, ideas and personalities are bound to clash. But in developed democracies whatever conflicts and disagreements that ensue from political contests are easily resolved peacefully by institutions that are strong enough to contain them. In those climes where there are peaceful and credible elections, the electoral system is transparent and equality before the law is non-negotiable. The political playing field is fairly level for all individuals and groups.

Since it is not possible in mature democracies to rig, kill or cut corners in anyway without being caught, and brought to justice, every political contestant, no matter how powerful or highly placed, is then compelled to play by the rule. The only contest that is fierce and rigorous is the contest of ideas. And since the door to rigging, violence and other electoral shortcuts is firmly shut through proper application of the law and strong institutions, the only weapon left for contestants is that of ideas and issues on how to bring about a better society. Ethnicity, religion and other sentiments have no significant role in determining who emerges to occupy public office.

It is the brilliance of your ideas, it is the sound solutions you are able to proffer to the problems confronting the society that take you into public office.

Not so in Nigeria. Personalities are stronger than institutions and they often operate far above the law. Here issues are the last thing when vying for public office. That is why we are where we are. One step forward, two backwards. Look at public power supply. After 14 years of democracy, under the same party at the centre, Nigeria has only been able to supply a paltry 4000MW to a population of 160 million people. Brazil produces 710,000. South Africa, with a population far below ours produces 60,000MW.

Surely the ruling party is not basing its attempt to continue in office on performance. If the PDP has spent 14 years producing only 4000MW, how many more years do we have to wait to get to 10,000MW or even regular and stable power supply?  The voters should now begin to ask them why the nation with the seventh largest gas reserves in the world is unable to generate enough electricity. And still on energy, why is the largest exporter of crude oil in Africa unable to refine enough fuel for domestic consumption? Has refining become rocket science in the hand of the ruling party?

In the run up to 2015, the issue of power supply should be on the front burner because it is at the heart of real sector growth, job creation, poverty alleviation and even crime fighting and reduction. In the past decade, progress has been made in global poverty reduction, but misery has worsened in Nigeria where more than 60 percent of the population is trapped in extreme poverty. The seven per cent jobless growth often touted by those in government is not as a result of any special effort by government.  The voodoo growth is fed and fuelled by favorable oil prices and expansion in the telecom sector and other services.

And since that kind of growth is non-inclusive because it does not create jobs, insecurity arising from worsening youth unemployment has become a monster threatening to consume the nation. Those in power have disregarded the fact that the growth rate can easily go to double digits if power supply problem is fixed. They hated it when some of us told them more than five years ago that no nation could aspire to be among the 20 largest economies by the year 2020 without regular supply of electricity. Now the chicken has come home to roost. Five years to the finish line, they have now admitted that sloganeering alone cannot take us far.  You don’t run a modern economy on candles and lanterns.

The voters should therefore not be distracted by the language of militancy and war issuing out of the politicians mouth. The question remains: How is the PDP going to guarantee regular power supply between now and May 2015? If they are unable to achieve that, why do they want us to give them another term?

There is also the issue of transport system which remains chaotic and dysfunctional after 14 years of democracy. They have talked about reforms and transformation but the rail system remains worse than the colonial masters left it. How do the parties intend to give us a modern rail system? What are they going to do about these roads that look like those in war torn countries?

We should also ask those in power to tell us why they have always pocketed over 70 per cent of the budget as salaries and allowances for themselves and others in public office, leaving too little for development. We should call their attention to the iniquitous inequity in the nation’s income distribution. Should the political office remain the shortest route to wealth? If not how do we hope to cut the soaring cost of governance?

The PDP should begin to dwell more on its achievements if it has any, and tell us why it should be returned in 2015. The opposition should refrain from mud slinging, producing superior ideas to solve the nation’s problems and concentrating on why it is a better alternative to the ruling party.

with Adebolu Arowolo