Kris Okotie Lend His Voice On Current National Issues

In the twilight of his long, illustrious career, the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo expressed his frustrations with Nigerian democracy in what looked like his last major public statement before his demise. He told journalists who gathered at a press conference to mark his 78th birthday that they might never witness true democracy in the country for many years. In a sense, the political icon foresaw this present darkness that has enveloped the nation.
Most of the Chief’s peers who were lucky to be alive in the ‘80s to early ‘90s would have been shocked to witness the turn of events that led to the abortion of the Second Republic. Of course, the controversial polls of 1983 and the general discontent that followed, set the stage for the New Year eve coup of December of that year, which brought the military back to power.
The respected leader of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, in the Second Republic famously predicted that when you think we are about to arrive at true democratic destination; from nowhere, some tsunami would just emerge to blow it away! Pointing to a young journalist from the defunct Daily Times, during the media chat, Awo said prophetically, “You! No matter how long you live, your generation will not know democracy in Nigeria!”
Like most predictions, it didn’t happen immediately. With the political colossus gone, it looked like the statement was like a doomsday prediction after all. Chief M.K.O. Abiola was coasting home to victory on June 12, 1993, in the next transition that should have launched the Third Republic when, suddenly, it was annulled by the military. That election remains a benchmark till date. We were almost there, but the journey to true democracy was aborted; ever since, we have been in political wilderness. We continue to wrestle with bizarre variants of democracy, led by strange bed fellows and poor players who are, at best, hustlers or politicians of fortune.
The democracy we have on our hands today is not worth the name because of the fruits it has produced: a fragmented polity constantly overheated by feuding politicians; under-development, growing poverty, terrorism and other forms of violent crimes. Political succession remains a dangerous gambit. Poor governance practices and corruption with impunity, continues to widen the gap between the rich and the poor.
In this dispensation, what fuels intra-party and inter-party rivalries is not the contention of ideas about governance or the choice of political ideology, but the appropriation of power or juicy political offices with the aim of gaining control of the nation’s liquid assets.
Just a few days ago, the celebration of the rebasing of our GDP at $510 billion dollars, which the Federal Government proudly flaunted because it listed Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy ahead of South Africa at $370 billion dollars, was greeted with the bloody attack by the Boko Haram terrorists on the Nyanya motor park near Abuja, which left over 70 people dead. As if that was not enough, the terror group stormed a girls’ school in Chibok, Borno State, hotbed of the 5-year insurgency and kidnapped over 200 students. So far, only a few of the girls had managed to escape.
Sadly, this latest dastardly act of the terror group, especially the kidnapping of the girls, has caused outrage across the nation and pitched the ruling party against the leadership of the opposition APC. The political rivals have been trading blames over the handling of the insurgency as well as the root cause of it. Trading blames on an issue like this is unhelpful at this stage, as this would only create the kind of internal divisions that enables terrorism to thrive. It is counter-productive to allow Boko Haram exploit our differences for its selfish ends.
Not even the long military rule with all the inadequacies of the Generals recorded the kind of dysfunctional state our beleaguered democracy has produced. Even, the National Conference that President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated to look into the structural problems of our federation has spent about 30 of its 90-day span bickering over feeding, committees’ membership and procedures. One only hopes that the conference would pick up steam after these initial teething problems and give some fillip to a polity in dire need of a new paradigm.
The ruling parties across the political spectrum are all burdened by internal squabbles mainly because of the recent political realignments that would shape the 2015 general elections. The primaries and the outcome of the Presidential elections would be the climax of this simmering crisis.
Many observers have said that 2015 is the ultimate test of the survival of this dispensation, which must also contend with the conclusions of the National Conference and the review of the 1999 constitution. There are many woods in the fire. President Jonathan’s crisis management skill and political acumen should come into play in all of these. He needs a large dose of his luck, which is behind his Cinderella run of good fortune, to survive this gathering storm. How he comes off it would define the true essence of his presidency.
My prediction is that Nigeria would not disintegrate, because it is God’s client nation, chosen for a special mission on earth. This present darkness will not blow this nation away; it is just a passing phase. There’s always a new dawn, a new paradigm after every darkness.

Rev. Okotie, a Presidential Aspirant, wrote from Lagos:Okotie@rewvchrisokotie.com. Follow on twitter @Revchrisokotie. 08078421451 (sms only)