Electoral Activism Or Sovereign National Conference Is The Answer, Not Another Farce Of An Election In 2011

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Joseph Monehin,

I don’t think anyone supporting the SNC believes it is an end in itself. By its very nature, it isn’t. It is only a platform to discuss and negotiate for a better national relationship, based on a thorough understanding of the problems, an assessment of viable solutions, a resolution of the way forward and an agreement signed to by all through their representatives at the SNC.

The starting point is that we know that our nation is one not created by us as a people, but imposed on us as a colonial heritage. Yet, that is not the problem, because we really do have a potentially viable heritage in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural entity that is today’s Nigeria. The problem is that all the potentials are simply not being explored and worked on by those who control state power. But the failure of this leadership is at a huge cost to the body-politic. For instance, the retrogressive destruction of the federal principle, which is the foundational principle of the new nation at the time of flag independence, has led to so many ills – like civil war, ethnic and communal crises, corruption, marginalisation, terrible underdevelopment, breakdown of the rule of law and all-round bad governance perpetrated by military rule and a pretend democracy. In such an atmosphere, no positive national development ideology can grow, because every effort would be akin to pouring water in a basket.

Now we have a situation where these vices have become embodied in a system championed by rulers who think nothing of the nation, because (1) they are selfish (2) they are visionless (3) they seek and keep power not as citizens of the nation but as agents of sectionalist interests and foreign buccaneers and (4) they are invested in the creation of nation-stripping dynasties under the notion that the state and its goods can be appropriated for their own personal benefit without question, as far as they keep control of the institutions and instruments of decision-making and state instruments of coercion. From their own perspective, as far as they are in control, they will concede nothing.

The worse tragedy however is that the historical pummelling visited on the people by the operations of all the above vices has left them in a near permanent frazzle. They are those who suffer from amnesia and having being in this state for so long, they welcome anyone that declares himself a hero or pretend to want to solve their problem only to be shafted again and again. Thus, the reality, after fifty years now is that as much as power is formally fought for and gained on sectionalist basis, development does not even follow that line, because those who eventually claim this power are almost always interested in themselves their family and their friends, not even the people of that section. When their position is threatened, they are quick to conjure up the ethnic or religious card to visit violence on all others, but that is only because poverty, ignorance and illiteracy has produced a horde of willing tools they can use to perpetuate this in any part of the country they so choose. The nation therefore remains in a permanent state of simmering chaos, with the people unable to build the necessary solidarity needed to unburden their yoke of bad leadership, because this leadership has mastered the art of divide and rule. In such a situation, the type of politics you have is that of the gutter where the criminal is king and the potential performers are forced to cower in a corner.

We have now reached a point where the social cost of this political craziness is there for all to see. Freedom fighters and crooks get into an alliance to wreak havoc on the state while the ordinary people bear the brunt – all because those in control of state power refuse to use state resources for the benefit of the people. Nigeria, with its massive population, vibrant, brilliant and hardworking people became a byword for national waste. Anyone can see that the motioning towards 2011 only emblematizes the problem the more. That problem is nothing more than the National Question.

We can either address it in two ways – violently or non-violently. Some of our countrymen who have lost all patience have since urged a bloody revolution. While this is easy to mouth, the reality is quite complex and different from what they project. Those who call for a Rawlings solution assume there is a Rawlings incubated somewhere in the Nigerian Armed Forces ready to lead out his fellow revolutionaries for the cleansing job. Not only that, they assume that Nigeria is the same political, economic and social composition as Ghana and that the radicalization of the middle-level military personnel in Ghana has also been done here. Yet, we know what we know of the Nigerian military from their days in government and from the way they treat civilians even when not in government. They assume that their potential revolutionaries have the answers. I need not delve into the real history of the French Revolution that ended up producing a Napoleon after ten years of indiscriminate bloodbath that claimed revolutionaries and reactionaries in equal measure.

We are lucky to have history to learn from, but what have we really learnt from it? What I am saying is that despite all our woes, we have a basis to reconstruct now if only the Nigerian people can take their own fate in their hands and act. Yes, we need to confront bad leadership and do away with it. We need to be able to enjoy the God-given fruits of our country as a people without having these vultures cart off everything. We need to do this by providing ideas that will free the society of all these encumbrances and position us on a path of progress. Short of shooting each other in the streets and on the beaches, we need to talk about exactly what kind of country we want, what laws we want and what kind of government we want to run our affairs and, most importantly, what role citizens must play in all this. A Sovereign National Conference offers this window of opportunity in several ways than one.

First, before we come to that state, the controllers of the state and the people must agree that it is necessary. Today, our rulers do not agree, because to them, this will spell the end of their fiesta. But then, while the raw power of the state is in their hands, true sovereignty belongs to the Nigerian people. It is therefore within our power to force their hands by exercising civil power over bad government. It begins with a unified demand. They resist, we insist; they resist, we insist. If they present a hollow electoral timetable (as they have done now) we can refuse to be part of it in exercise of our democratic rights to be conscientious objectors to their self-serving programme. They will have no choice but to defer to the people. Yes, they will not defer if the people do not act; but if we insist on it, they simply will have no choice, because at that point negotiating a face-saving exit will be in their best interest. When the controllers of the state have been brought down to the level where they are forced to listen to the people through series of civil actions, we can then work out the modalities for constituting and convening this Sovereign National Conference whose purpose will be to fashion a new nation based on the decision of the people themselves. It’s a revolution, but a peaceful one.

The Sovereign National Conference will be constituted by ethnic representatives, civil society and professional organizations, students and youth groups and every sector of our national life. Its composition will necessarily be credible, because unlike in any other type of election, this one is about choosing people who will meet with others from elsewhere to negotiate your place within the nation. I mean, who would allow moneybags or godfathers to hijack their birthright? Would you sit and watch a 419er go to the Conference to negotiate the place of your ethnic group in a larger Nigeria? And if you are chosen, would you go there to sell out your ethnic group knowing that you are going to go back there, knowing your family is there, your root is there? Obviously, every ethnic group will take it seriously and produce their best and most credible sons and daughters to represent them, because they must all understand the historical moment.

In terms of issues to discuss, there can be no no-go areas. It will be the body to fashion a new constitution to meet the needs of the new nation. They will decide what type of government structure we need; they will discuss the role and organization of the Armed Forces; they will discuss security and policing; they will discuss education and the whole lot. They will establish how power can be gained and what constitutes legitimate succession at every level through democratic franchise. At every stage the representatives will be going back and forth consulting with their people and negotiating their positions with others until a consensus is reached as to what should be with regard to every issue. This whole process could take a whole year, by which time the national government in place will only be concerned with running the affairs of state based on extant laws until the Sovereign National Conference adopts its work and pass it as law. Being a Sovereign National Conference, its resolutions are not open to be reviewed by any other, including the government of the day. What would happen immediately thereafter would be the implementation of the agreement in all details and the establishment of a true national government by the people through the free exercise of their mandate. Again, such a detailed, painstaking process will produce the right leaders because the details of how to achieve this would be part of the work of the Sovereign National Conference. This is about the freedom of the Nigerian people to choose a life that suits them, not one imposed on them by some predatory elite. Needless to say, what you call our present “faulty arrangement” cannot produce the above for obvious reasons.

We are talking about the Nigerian people being allowed for the first time to put their much celebrated talent to use for the benefit of the nation in a free atmosphere devoid of the subterfuge and criminality that have bedevilled us since time immemorial. Of course, as stated earlier, this is not an end in itself; but what it will do is to give us a legitimate and acceptable template for national development. This will give us a better chance of starting afresh and succeeding as a nation.

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what we need to do is to work together to put an alternative grassroots political party in government in 2011 that will serve the people!
http://newsdiaryonline.com/Taiwo_solution.htm

No question, it is a bleeding obvious wound knowledge that the Nigeria country is not working for the masses.

Regrettably, the masses unfortunately are their own worst enemy, always using the tribe divide to stir up hook line and sinker, which is and will always be an endless debate for wishful hopers.

Our tribes may define us in difference, but our needs, nothing different. Lets stop fighting amongst ourselves, but rather focus on where the real fight is, ( i.e Ibb & co.) or this country will fall apart and who knows???

You ascribed some romanticism and nostalgia to these kleptomaniacs by referring to them as members of some "industrial-military complex". These goons are not dissimilar to common thieves, armed robbers, cultists and kidnappers. Aterall they are products of the dubious war to keep Nigeria "one" which spurned this scramble to control and loot our resources - just like the Berlin conference of 1885.

These morons belong to the only recognisable tribe in the land - THE THIEVING TRIBE or THIEF THIEF TRIBE (TTT)

A Sovereign National Conference will expose their vulnerability and soft underbelly hence the apathy.It is however, the strongest glue for the opposition- which in this case is the rest of the country.
The 350 nations in the Federation are all clamouring to develop and progress according to the their peculiarity and circumstances, yet these retards can't seem to tell the difference between ewedu and fura-nono nor can they harness the industrial prowess of the East or the agricultural competence of the Middle Belt. The sophisticated traditions of the Edo kingdom would complement an eco-friendly exploitation of Oil and Gas in the Niger Delta,etc,etc.
The advantages of an SNC are too numerous to evaluate in this comment, but suffice to say that it is an inevitable beginning to the end of this thieving frenzy.

This write up is a piece of fantasy from a writer desperate to dryclean his name from years of associating with and supporting James Ibori...WE ARE NOT DECEIVED total rubbish...

i totally agree with this analysis, we are doomed right from the word go, the people jostling for leadership at all levels are just criminals and the electoral process encourages this but with the level of ignorance and immaturity of the Nigerian people, we should expect nothing more that acquiescence from our people we seek to protect, there lies the dilemma, people just don't understand what is good for them as expounded in this article. I gave up long ago.

Fine op ed. Nigerians must learn to take their destiny in their own hands only they are looking towards their future and the future yet unborn.

An interesting commentary by Mr. Emetulu! The author's pessimism regarding Babangida, the ex-tyrant called Obasanjo and his surrogate, G. Jonathan, though justified, has curiously failed to extend to include the historically unsavory roles of major self-acclaimed representatives of civil society groups. The likes of Wole Soyinka, Pastor Bakare and co. tend to act as willing conspirators in the predatory onslaught that Nigeria's so-called power-brokers continue to inflict on the nation. Is it the same badly compromised civil society that Mr. Emetulu is counting on to deliver the anticipated dividends of a SNC? Let me suggest a reading of my article entitled "Is the opposition to Babangida driven by primordial loyalties?".

An interesting commentary by Mr. Emetulu! The author's pessimism regarding Babangida, the ex-tyrant called Obasanjo and his surrogate, G. Jonathan, though justified, has curiously failed to extend to include the historically unsavory roles of major self-acclaimed representatives of civil society groups. The likes of Wole Soyinka, Pastor Bakare and co. tend to act as willing conspirators in the predatory onslaught that Nigeria's so-called power-brokers continue to inflict on the nation. Is it the same badly compromised civil society that Mr. Emetulu is counting on to deliver the anticipated dividends of a SNC? Let me suggest a reading of my article entitled "Is the opposition to Babangida driven by primordial loyalties?".

Kenn,

Thanks for this. While many will appreciate this (SNC) as the REAL panacea to our travails, this industrial-military complex are already so giddy with their 'preparations' for 2011, they will not let it happen. They will be aided in part by a large section of society who always erroneously believe defeatist mantras like 'the nation must move forward', 'there is not enough time', 'it is unconstitutional', etc.
We will again be made to partake in that habitual race to nowhere. For the foreseeable future, we appear to be doomed.

Has it ever occurred to all of you that it is the same people messing up our country now that will be the attendees at a Sovereign National Conference?

Kennedy's suggestion is significant even if it is not easily achievable.I say this because I am not sure the number of Nigerians that will read and agree that this is the way to go.The level of education, the impact of the elite on the majority of Nigerians and the level of sensitization of the masses would appear to be too low or non existent.These are the limitations to change in Nigeria.The most debilitating of all of these is the complete abandonment,apathy and and near naivety on the part of the Nigerian elite.Poverty at the root of the emergent issues simply erodes the power of the masses.This state of affairs simply encourages the industrial-military machinery to ride rough shod over us again and again.Jonathan is simply a tool for sustaining this machinery and every other activist must be pilloried into submission.Only an uprising within the rank and file of this power block can open up the space for people power.It is a sorry situation!

Although I agree with the writer that there is nothing to suggest that the 2011 elections will meet our expectations or produce credible leaders, I am also not convinced that having a Sovereign National Conference is going to solve our problems.
Will SNC necessarily provide us with a credible electoral rocess that will give us genuine, visionary leaders? If yes, can't we achieve the same outcome even under this faulty arrangement?
I don't see the SNC as an end in itself, and we may yet end up in this retrogresive state if we don't solve the leadership question, with or without SNC.

Although I agree with the writer that there is nothing to suggest that the 2011 elections will meet our expectations or produce credible leaders, I am also not convinced that having a Sovereign National Conference is going to solve our problems.
Will SNC necessarily provide us with a credible electoral rocess that will give us genuine, visionary leaders? If yes, can't we achieve the same outcome even under this faulty arrangement?
I don't see the SNC as an end in itself, and we may yet end up in this retrogresive state if we don't solve the leadership question, with or without SNC.

These coming elections will be hot. The next four weeks will unfold a lot of drama. Just look at the actors, "Babangida", "Jonathan", "Atiku", "Buhari","Ribadu"..priceless
Follow the twitter page for the common man with a brain: www.twitter.com/SaveNigeriaGrp
They're talking of world's largest cake for Nigeria at 50 when the average Nigerian hasn't eating his/share of the national cake..rubbish.

Without  Sovereign National Conference to decide on the direction we need to take our nation, as analyzed here, the Country Nigeria, as we know it today, will be worse than Iraq situation. Nigerian military will not be able to handle it . 

Babangida and his companies are already on fire! They cannot survive it for another year.  We are on them already.  The only solution is National Conference to redefine Nigeria as a Republican States where all the States have their powers as defined in the constitution.

The election should be postponed until Nigeria has the foundations properly laid down.  Part of the solution to be discussed and agreed to is that all former political army officers (in military governments) should be banned from future elections for life. Nigerians had forgiven them for any prosecution for taking powers without their consent. This is bargain they have or otherwise face treasons charges.

Truly, to move Nigeria out of the vicious cycle, neither IBB nor GEJ appears to be the option. SNC is the ideal path to follow but we can still use 2011 to push for the SNC option. This can be done by Nigerians massing behind a candidate that would be unveiled soon outside of these re-cycled dead woods. This would be by way of electoral activism of some sort using 2011 as a launch pad. Nigerians should reject this impression that they are left with this choice between demon and devil. It pays them for us to think so helplessly.

My fellow Nigerians , this is a well written panacea for our political dilema in Nigeria. How can we have a fair and incredible election when there is neother motion nor movement, about which way do we go. The national sovereigh Conference is over due for us in Nigeria.Are we practising presidential system of democracy or "African Oligacracy"? We may like to address this issue before it is too late.One day will be one day we may not say 'one nigeria'any more , since it is the elephant in the room that no one wants to address.

This is an excellent writeup. However, who will mobilize and rally the masses. The opposition, with the exception of ACN is dead. Even the only surviving one, the ACN is not being given any breathing space. The ruling class is not listening to anyone, for one thing the Federal and State legislative arms are prodominantly PDP, the judiciary had been cornered. The people are voiceless. In my opinion, the only way a change can come to the people of Nigeria is either through bloody revolution to wipe out all these theives or the people taking to the streets in protest and refusing to back down. Yes, lives will be lost but at the end a change will come.

Kennedy Emetulu pls continue to write. It feels good reading you. However, the following is not true: "Jonathan’s presidency is doing nothing for the Ezon or the South-South, just as Yar’Adua’s presidency did nothing for the Hausa-Fulani or the North. Babangida’s presidency will do nothing for Nigeria or the North, just like Obasanjo’s did nothing for the Yoruba, South-West or Nigeria."

I agree with the writer completely. I have repeatedly warned nigerians that the problem of our electoral system goes beyond personalities in the system. What we need is a social contract with the state. Call it a National conference or anything,but time has come when the ordinary Nigerian has to have a say in the way he is gorverned,its not enough to foister Obasnjo,Babangida or Jonathan on everybody.Until we decide to sit down with each other and work out a way,in form of a contract as to how we will move on as a Nartion, we might as well be preparing for the doomsday.

Great and insightful piece! This will no doubt attract both friends and foes.

Flawless analysis and posits!!!

Who are the participants in a sovereign national conference? is it not the same political elite we have today? Who will choose the participants in a sovereign national conference? Who will allocate money for such a conference? is it the senate?
This and many questions makes SNC virtually impossible.

Thank u my brother. What an excellent article far away from the doors of the paid regulators of our thoughts in syber-space. Their intellectual blankness, limits them to penning their ideas on the relics of the obasanjo era. Then lazily attempt to compare the evil days of IBB with OBJ. Beyond that lies an empty space. Unaware that, we now live at a crucial moment in history, when choice must be made in order for the nation to attain a higher level of conciousness and coherence through the hosting of a SNC. Rather than have our regional regulators, embark on a revolution on our wasteful political system, they are struggling to partake in the sharing of the 90b allocated to INEC. They want to waste our time with another sham election. Theirs is to Zone the nation into oblivion. The ongoing self centred, parochial talks by the IBBs, Buharis and the Ribadus to rebrand the ballot boxes to the Northern zones of their fickled minds, will simply be another exercise in futility.IBB in his latest outing on AIT, is now blaming Nzeribes ABN, for the cancellation of the June 12 election-thats Nigeria 4 u.50yrs after oil was discovered, we still do not undesrtand the meaning on the colors of our flag and the difference between d 6 geo poli zones and the 3 former regions.

A very fine piece well analysed i couldnt agree with you more, but will we listen?

Let me commend your excellent exposition on the rejoinder to okey Ndibe's. You suggest that we review the Electoral Acts and constitutional amendment and then press for a SNC. These are peaceful and legitimate entitlements of the citizenry in a constitutional democracy with responsive leadership. But that is not what Nigeria is and that is why it won't work. Who will convoke a SNC? The kleptocratic legislature or the political jobbers in Aso Rock who are sure to lose out in such event? Prof. Nwabueze rightly stated the answer to Nigeria's problems a few months back - A Bloody Revolution is the Answer. Those who survive will pick the pieces and start afresh. We should begin to conscientize and mobilize the grassroots populace for this objective. Danjuma said Revolution knows no friend nor foe. Tell me, if a 5-star hotel is burnt down and a private jet set ablaze in a revolution, is it not likely to belong to an IBB or a Danjuma or an OBJ or Atiku? Does it benefit the Hausa normad/Almajiri or the fisherman in the creeks?

Mr. Emetulu, thank you for your well articulated piece. Indeed if we are to achieve any form of success in governance we must do as you have suggested but this time any such SNC should not constitute government appointees who only go there to chew "gworo" and sleep through out the conference.

My only concern is that the electoral reforms we require to make the desired change in Nigeria would never be allowed by the kind of leaders we have at the top and in these few months leading to the 2011 elections.

Its also time that we Nigerians realize that where the president comes from is immaterial and concentrate on the quality of the occupant of the office. Indeed none of our past leaders can boast of what they have done for "their" people. They only succeed in being the wealthiest in their land.

Although I agree with the writer that there is nothing to suggest that the 2011 elections will meet our expectations or produce credible leaders, I am also not convinced that having a Sovereign National Conference is going to solve our problems.
Will SNC necessarily provide us with a credible electoral rocess that will give us genuine, visionary leaders? If yes, can't we achieve the same outcome even under this faulty arrangement?
I don't see the SNC as an end in itself, and we may yet end up in this retrogresive state if we don't solve the leadership question, with or without SNC.

Kennedy Emetelu Mr Electoral Activism Or Sovereign National Conference Is The Answer, Not Another Farce Of An Election In 2011 indeed, you have finished your James Ibori Money so what we need now is another agenda setting nonsense, why not lead the way in the so called electoral activism jargon.