NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS.

NIGERIAN DEMOCRACY AND

 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS.

BY:

MUDASSIR ALIYU YUNUSA

mudassiray@gmail.com

     Democracy is a political system of government in which people of a nation or a country are rule base on any form they choose to establish through drafting constitution that is guiding the conduct of the society. Abraham Lincoln defines democracy as “the government of the people by the people for the people”. Therefore democracy has to do with popular sovereignty in respect to the provision of law, order, welfare and security to the citizens. Among the features of democracy election is the most important that is why any political system without election will never be considered as a pure democracy. By definition, election is a legal way of choosing or selecting a leader through casting of votes by people or group of delegates vested with the power and authority to put in place and legitimizes somebody as a leader in a governmental or non governmental organizations. It is also a procedure that allow members of an organization or community to choose somebody who will hold a position of authority to command and effect positive change within it. Election serves as a way of evaluating and assessing the viability of political leaders and or the activities of government by the citizens/electorates. The system of direct election is recognized and adopted in Nigeria where eligible people are allowed to conduct elections through casting of votes directly to a particular individual holding flag of a registered party who is vying for a given political office. And on the other hand anybody who met the criteria and requirement is allowed to contest in as much as he or she is a bonafide citizen.

     Nigeria adopted federal system of government where there are 3 tiers of government i.e Federal State and Local governments. Local government is the third tier of government that engages in some appropriate services and other developmental projects. The United Nation office for public administration defines Local government “as a political sub division of a nation or state which is constituted by law and has substantive control of local affairs including the power to impose taxes or to extract labour for prescribed purposes, the governing body of Local government is either elected or selected.”

     Nigeria practice democracy as its political system where election used to take place periodically but this I can say is only applicable to federal and state entities, but in the case of local government, election became voluntary as the task to conduct polls  into the council is fully control by state governors (code, conduct, exercise and final result). This is purely unacceptable and against the provision of constitution. The 1976 Local government reform provided that the essence of local government is to facilitate the exercise of democratic self governance close to the grass root in order to encourage initiative and leadership potentials; to mobolise human material resources through the involvement of members of the public in their local affairs for self development; and also to provide the channel of communication between local communities and government (both federal and state). This entails bringing people closer to the government and allowing them to participate fully in their own affairs.

     However, considering the initial rules that back the reform of the local government as well as the provisions of constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, local government should be fully democratized with elected officials to govern the council in most appropriete manner. Another unconstitutional treatment done to the local government is that all their activities has been single handedly hijacked by the state government where the governors appoint whoever they wish to oversee the affairs of local government, and in many cases those appointed are just care takers mere with little or no portfolio and power to endorse and carry out some developmental projects. Likewise, even where local government polls holds it is usually fused with so many irregularities with rigging, thugs, imposition of candidate and the use of power to intimidate voters has became order of the day mostly in favour of the ruling party in the state, in some states opposition parties are not allow to secure or win even a single councillorship seat (2014 Local govt elections in Kano and Jiwaga are typical example), this justify lack of free, fair and credible election in our society especially at local level where masses are in majority. It is important to note that at times even their aids and grants from the federal government is control by the state government, where they are just receiving some meager  amount of money mostly for their recurrent expenditures like payment of salaries/wages; miscellaneous and other overhead expenses.

     Therefore, to be honest this will not allow the masses at the grassroot to enjoy the benefit and the dividends of democracy which are the only political profit ought to be gained by the electorates. I suggest that the conduct and exercise of local government polls should be single handedly  carried out by INEC with zero interference of state governments. I m sure this will improve the level of credibility and the commitments attached to the third tier of government which in essence will provide social security, political fair play and economic well being.

Mudassir write from NTA Zaria.