Is the 2015 Election Necessary?

By Oluwaseyi Oduyela

I remember when the state police debate came up, many Nigerians argued that Nigeria is not ripe for State Police. Some of these people are “intellectuals.” They argued that Governors will abuse their powers and use the police against their political opponents.

Hmmm… I asked them about what the federal government has been doing.

Successive presidents, let’s start from Shagari’s time have used the federal police against their opponents. We saw this in 1983 during the elections; Obasanjo not only used the police, but also the military to decimate Odi in Niger delta.

Under Obasanjo, police invaded Apo village and nothing happened. Record shows that, rate of extra-judicial killings by law enforcement agents are higher under civilian governments than under the military. In the first two years of President Obasanjo’s administration, no fewer than 252 people lost their lives to extra-legal wanton or arbitrary killings. The figure may be much higher and it is estimated that undocumented or unpublicised deaths may account for yet another 252. Killing by police accounts for 61% of these deaths, the remaining 39% by ethnic militia. The highest incidence of arbitrary, summary and extra-judicial killings occurred in Lagos, Anambra and Delta State, with Lagos accounting for about 32% of all killings (81 deaths).

The report showed that many of the police officers accused of such killings stay in the force as if they were untouchable. Of the 56 cases of extra-judicial killing, involving 154 deaths, caused by the police and other security agencies, available evidence showed that only about 20 cases (30%) were investigated. Only in about three cases (4.5%) was there evidence that police and other security officers responsible for the deaths were removed from the force and prosecuted. There was no evidence at all that the relations of victims of extra-judicial killings were compensated.

Custody deaths make up 17% of documented extra-legal deaths caused by law enforcement agents, while deaths arising from attempts to extort money from motorists account for yet another 21%.

In 1999, during the fight between locals and Hausas in Shagamu, Governor Osoba could not do anything because the State Commissioner of Police was answerable to the Inspector General of Police, who in turn is answerable to the President. Many lives were lost and the Chief Executive of Ogun State could not do anything. In the same Ogun State, under Governor Gbenga Daniels, Obasanjo used the Police to arrest and detain Owu kingmakers because his candidate lost the election.

In Rivers State, Ombu apparently turned himself to PDP police by creating disorderliness instead of maintaining it.. For his unprofessional conduct, he became Abuja Police Commissioner and now a Deputy Inspector General of Police.

The recent action of the police, locking down the National Assembly, denying the members of the Assembly access and embarrassing the Speaker of the House of the Representatives, who, in hierarchy, is the number four citizen of Nigeria, is not only uncalled for but also ludicrous.

Why was the Assembly complex locked down? If there was going to be a lock down, shouldn’t the police inform the Principal Officers of the National Assembly?

The Police as it is; is Nigeria Police Force not Peoples Democratic Party’s Force. The Inspector General of Police, may have been appointed by the President, he swore to protect the provisions of the constitution and to obey it, which includes when the President is out of line. The Inspector General of Police allegiance is not to the President but to the constitution no matter how dysfunctional it is.

Since 1999, it has become apparent that the PDP’s constitution has replaced the Nigerian Constitution and Nigerians, either they are members of PDP or non-members, or apolitical are have been subjected to it. Sadly, they have not objected to it.

While I don’t want to digress, I think, it is necessary to mention that rotational presidency is not a constitutional prescription but political arrangement but it has been accepted across party lines now.

Now back to the state/federal Police argument. Since it has been established that the federal government has abused its powers, using the police as agents of trauma in opposition states, it makes more sense to allow states and local governments to have their own policing systems.

Criminal Justice system in Nigeria is weird. How can I commit crime in Ijebu Ode local government and serve jail term in Gashua prison located in Yobe State? While states have their courts, federal government manages the prisons. As a result, we have more people awaiting trials than people serving actual jail terms. States and local governments, won’t like to talk about that since the federal government is picking up the bill of securing their prisoners and money that should have been spent for security and crime prevention being diverted to something unrelated to it.

There is also the issue of redistricting once raised by Professor Maurice Iwu, former INEC chairman. The question is, how can Lagos and Kano have the same population figure and Kano has more representatives in the House of Representatives than Lagos? This is not peculiar to Lagos and Kano, it affects Eastern states too.

Why would the President have the power to appoint Supreme Court Justices, Federal High court Judges including the Chief Justice and Federal Chief Judge without Senate hearing and confirmation? Why shouldn’t the appointment of the Inspector General of Police be subjected to Senate hearing and confirmation? Why should the President be vested with the power to appoint Electoral Commissioners for the states without the Senate confirmation? Why should the federal government conduct state and local government elections? These and many more questions are begging for answers.

Since the Confab has concluded its work, and report submitted, why can’t Nigerian’s debate the report? If the report is truly meant to address issues affecting the harmony of Nigeria. If the Confab was set up with the true intention to answer all of the unanswered questions, let there be debates in State houses of Assembly, Local councils.

Why rush to elections? If Nigeria is serious about fixing the problems, if Mr. Jonathan Goodluck is sincere with his intentions of being the best Nigerian president ever, he should forget about the election in 2015. Let him allow Nigerians to debate the Confab reports.

What happens if there is not election next year? Jonathan with the National Assembly can form a National Government as interim. This will give Nigeria a fresh start and the government coming in will start on a clean slate.

Ogbeni Jona, prove your statesmanship by resolving these issues. Even if you didn’t run for second term, you will be remembered as the father of a reborn Nigeria.

Obasanjo had the chance to do it, for 8 years, instead he pursued a 3^rd term agenda.

President Jonathan can show Obasanjo that there is difference between apple and orange.

There should not be election next year.