The Jonathan government is desperate to create a police state, just the same way the Shagari regime did preparatory to the 1983 election. The objective conditions are, indeed, similar: (1) the erosion of the legitimacy of the state due to massive corruption. (2) poor performance of the government in delivering the dividends of democracy and addressing the problems of unemployment and internal insecurity. (3) the prospects of losing power in a free and fair election to a more stronger and united and bolder opposition. (4) looming economic crisis due to falling oil prices. The Shagari regime armed the police force to teeth then under a pliant IG Adewusi, aimed at suppressing the opposition and dissent within the polity. Thereafter, they proceeded to massively rig the election of 1983 for the ruling party, the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) to have a landslide win (it was later called moon slide). The rigging was so brazen, criminal and beyond description that Chief Awolowo (of blessed memory) who contested under the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) but backed by an alliance of several opposition parties and the strongest challenger to NPN and Shagari decided not to go to the Tribunal to challenge the results because that would amount to conferring legitimacy to an obviously stolen mandate. Indeed, it would be a sheer waste of time. He left everything to God. The government of Shagari was toppled not long after. And as they say the rest is now history. Now 31 years after we are confronted with the same crisis, with the same visionless ruling party and Presidency whose desperation to cling to power is legendary and unprecedented in the annals of Nigerias political history. Like Shagari, the Jonathan government lacks the social base to confer on it the requisite legitimacy. Its social base is so narrow that it can only appeal to oil bunkerers and beneficiaries of oil subsidy and their hirelings. The government has performed so poorly that it has no score card except the propaganda spewing from TAN, and corruption has swallowed every facet of public life. The resort to use and deployment of brute force would remain the weapon of the dying regime and Nigerians have to brace up for a re-enactment of fascistic methods and intolerance of dissenting opinion, no matter how constructive or well meaning. This can be seen in the manner Jonathan had reconstructed the ruling party after his image and undemocratic impulses; PDP is now worst than a communist party in terms of politics of exclusion and bare knuckles mafia tactics in achieving political aims. Even communist party at times allow for some democratic contest internally. But Jonathan holding instruments of state power has coerced virtually everybody to leave the stage for him, very frighteningly including state governors who dare not indicate any aspiration for presidency. Now you ask me where is the democracy we all fought for? We can see that the language of Jonathan has changed. He is now talking about treason, threatening even state governors. The desperation will get worst as the looming crisis takes off and Jonathan and the PDP faces the prospects of being trounced in 2015. The deliberate igniting of crisis in some states, as well as the lingering war on Boko Haram will all be used by the Jonathan government to foist an oppressive police state on the country. Jonathan and PDP can go to any length to cling to power until and unless the popular forces stoop them in their tracks. After foisting a candidate on the PDP, he might proceed to foist a one party on the nation. The opposition APC cannot do it alone. All social forces must rise up and come out of their social comfort to stand for democracy, national unity and national progress. A stitch in time saves nine as some people say.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 22:03:37 +0000
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