Missing Democracy Ingredient

60 years of independence and 21 years into the 4th Republic, Nigeria is not making steady progress. While it's significant that our latest democratic experience is in its 3rd decade, our politics has bred division, corruption, incompetence & poverty.

We blame Lord Lugard for forming the country, the 1999 Constitution, and the current structure of the country. We also blame the low educational requirements for elective offices.

Various constitutional amendments can address these issues. That’s what many people think.

But does the performance of our PhD-wielding, elected senior government officials recommend that we would do better with governance, should having a doctorate becomes constitutionally-mandatory for candidates for president, VP, the National Assembly, governor and deputy governor?

I believe that high-level education makes a difference. So, I wouldn’t bet against its potential positive impacts on our governance. The problem is that such a system would be undemocratic; it would be a dubious meritocracy.

Even if a PhD is a prerequisite for being a member of the electorate, the most-well-read candidates will not always win elections.

In any case, no country that has developed economically, & in its democracy, has needed this "meritocracy" & no country has a perfect constitution.

What we need in Nigeria are leaders that will set and uphold good governance norms. It is not initially necessary, or compulsory, that the norms should be enshrined in the constitution. The norm of presidential two-terms limit was set extra-constitutionally.

Not until President Franklin D. Roosevelt broke the norm did the US enshrine presidential two-terms limit in 22nd Amendment ratified in 1947 – 150 years since George Washington set the norm by self-limiting his presidency to two terms (1789–1797), which other presidents upheld.

A fear immediately arises. What happens if a good norm set by a president is set aside by his successor? That’s where the major political parties come in. The party system should actually function as a filter against potential norm-breakers.

The major parties are supposed to field ethical and competent candidates that will uphold – instead of break – good norms. This makes it absolutely clear that the failure of Nigeria’s democracy is more about the failure of our party system.

The major parties do change in democracies, more so in young ones like Nigeria’s. A newly-formed En Marche!, by Emmanuel Macron, won the 2016 presidential election in France. With its victory in the parliamentary election as well, En Marche! is now a new major party in France.

@MoghaluKingsley presented himself to Nigerians in 2019 for a norm-setting president, but under a minor party. This shouldn't have sealed his presidential fate. It was just that the middle class – a major & influential voting-bloc – remained lulled: apolitical & wouldn't vote.

Professor Moghalu has since the election convened To Build A Nation (TBAN) as a platform to push for good governance norms. It is time for the Nigerian middle class to wake up and decisively intervene in the political leadership selection in Nigeria.

As the interim Executive Director of TBAN, volunteering part of my time regardless of my very busy professional schedule, I am inviting your membership of TBAN.

I look forward to welcoming you.

Jide Akintunde

/End.

You can use the link below to join one of TBAN's WhatsApp groups.

https://chat.whatsapp.com/D2Vml5CFOJV3VTl5v40cXP

Thank you.