2007 Elections in Africa: Nigeria as a case study

Development Analysis Vol.3

Development Analysts provide commentaries based on their expertise and knowledge on development issues in Africa. To reply to these commentaries, register on the ARYI website and click on "blog", or e-mail: Development_Analysis@africaninitiative.org.

This is an initiative by ARYI and the Forum for Global Action.The commentaries are viewpoints solely of the authors meant to initiate dialogue and critical thinking on development issues on the continent and globally.

Title: 2007 Elections in Africa: Nigeria as a case study
By: Fatoki Taiye Timmy (Nigeria)

Elections all over the world are meant to be a tool for positive change, affecting people's socio-economic developement. But over the years, voters all around the world are becoming increasingly disappointed with their political leaders turned rulers, especially on the continent of Africa, where elections of political leadership does not necessarily translates into any meaningful and effective impacts on the populace. Rather, those structures needed and necessary for man's development deteriorates by the day, even the dignity of man has been reduced by the unfortunate attitudes of our leaders, most of who are scheming to spend their entire life RULING the African people. Even, some would have preferred to make the leadership position an extension of their family estate.In Nigeria, the case is not different. Even though the excesses of political recklessness has not led to any kind of war like in some African countries, innocent children and women are daily becoming victims of our leaders myopic thoughts.

Nigeria's political/electoral systems encapsulate all that has gone wrong tragically awry with the Africa nations. But the questions that readily come to one's mind is why do Africa leaders continued to recycled bad leaders? Does the people choose these leaders? Were they elected or simply selected by the power that be? In the case of Nigeria, many eligible voters are no more interested in voting or participating in the electoral processes as contestants, simply because they have lost confidence in the system that should produce good leaders. Some of the other reasons include:

Intimidation of opposing forces/parties by the government of the day.
Partisanship of the government of the nation’s security forces.
Strong emphasis laid on money politics.
Lost of confidence in the leaders.
Non-inclusive of the people in programme /project designs and implementation.
Sit- tight leadership style.
Electoral fraud and malpractices.
Poverty and lack of employment.
Non-existing or few (where existing) people centered policies and projects.
Corruption and lack of transparency e.t.c.

These and many more have led African citizens not to live up to and perform their civic responsibilities via electoral and political participation and process. For example, due to poverty and lack of employment in the land, politicians employ youth as political thugs and electoral violence promoters, and take advantage of their parents' financial lack to blackmail them into voting for the wrong people. The fact that politicians enrich themselves through political office rather than using the office as a force for positive socio-political change also make the political atmosphere charged with violence, assassination and intimidation as it has been witnessed in Nigeria in the past eight months.

It is so bad that even Nigeria's vice-president was intimidated by the president and some members of the executive cabinet. Citizens are tired of this type of blind leadership in the nation that see leaders hardly rewarding virtue and punishing vices, except if you're in the wrong clique. The masses are fed up with this type of leadership soaked in strange moral contortions that define the nation's policy.The fact that governments on the African continent has hardly implemented projects that put people first is enough reason for people to be fed up. Or what is the essence of voting for changes that never was?

Rather political offices are seen as another professional seat where it is easier and cheaper to enrich oneself without having to pay for it. Instead of African leaders (Nigeria inclusive) to put the people first, they continued to implement capitalist agendas of the world bank, IMF and its likes in the name of reforms; reforms that has not worked in any African countries.Elections in Africa have turned into what the west want and not necessarily who the African people want. A case study is that is that of Liberia. The intrusion of the West in Africa's electoral processes also contributes to the type of leaders we produce on the continent. The electoral victory of Kabila of Congo and Sirleaf Johnson of Liberia would continue to be a source of discussion for time and neither would Nigerians forget the roles of the west in the killing of the presidential winner of the 1993 presidential election fairest and freest in the nations history.

It is more that thirty years after developed countries started sending aid materials to Africa, yet Africa has witnessed little significant development. It goes a long way to support the fact that our political leaders have failed us. What can be done now is for the civil society organizations, faith based organizations and community organizations to come together and challenge the governments of the day, enlighten the popular on their civic rights, roles and responsibilities as well as those of the governments Africans can only get the change we seek if we come all out of as one to demand for our rights and wants and abolished what we ditest.

It is time for African people to change the rule of the game (electioneering system) and possibly the players (leaders) too. The governments of the day must instill confidence into the people by implementing people centered projects, by been accountable and transparent to the led and by doing away with sit tight leadership syndrome like of the Nigeria's president Obasanjo's failed third term agenda. The media must also come out clearly to expose the evil acts of the people in governance and enlighten the people on roles and responsibilities.Electoral/political processes and systems that laid more emphasis on women inclusion and involvement as well as the development of women and young people is also paramount if we are ever to have a free, fair and participatory election in Africa.
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Fatoki Taiye Timmy is a young activist (promoting the right of children and vulnerable groups) he was a two-time senator of the National Association of Nigerian students (Africa's largest association). Fatoki Taiye Timmy is a two time national essay and art awards winner. He was a team leader of the national youth exchange Nigeria (2004), and a southwest delegate to the Nigeria youth policy agenda (2004). In 2005 Fatoki Taiye Timmy was the project supervisor of Global Xchange (an international exchange of young people in the UK and five other countries). He is a proficient speaker- a young pan-African. In the year 2005 he presented a position paper of the African youths at the G8 alternative summit in Scotland. Fatoki Taiye Timmy presently is a programme officer in the Integrated Youth Development Department of Life Vanguards Nigeria (a youth focused NGO).

His hobbies include reading, music, swimming and traveling. He is committed to see a better world. As a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, his passion includes bringing people out of their prisoned existence, one of the many things he learnt at the ivory tower.