Gov. Otti faults Nigerian democratic practice, suggests way forward

From PETER OKORE, Umuahia

Abia State governor Dr. Alex Otti has used the occasion of this year’s Democracy Day celebration to bare his mind on the performance of democracy in Nigeria, 24 years after.

To him, Nigeria is still playing to the gallery in the true sense of the meaning of ”Democracy,” regretting that after these years of democratic experiment, the process remains flawed in Nigeria.

“Nigerians are understandably disappointed and it would be cruel to dismiss their angst and frustrations”, he lamented.

In his broadcast to the state to mark the occasion in Abia, Governor Otti declared: ”We cannot address the roots of our frustrations with democracy in Nigeria by isolating ourselves or watching from the sides. We must all get involved because by being indifferent to the process, we unwittingly subject ourselves to leadership systems that offer poor or no solutions to the social and economic problems confronting us.

“I would be the first to acknowledge the performance of democracy in Nigeria because” I have been a victim of the many aberrations of it”.

Otti has been contesting the governorship seat of Abia state since 2015 and claims he won in each case; but was robbed of his victory in two occasions through faulty electoral sytem.

He believed that he was only declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in the 2023 race by Divine intervention and the overwhelming determination of Abians at home and in the diaspora that “enough is enough” in the state.

Otti’s victory was made possible due to the discovery of a customized rigging mechanism called the “Obingwa magic”, perfected by the then ruling party party (PDP) to ensure the party continued winning all elections in the state.

The game plan came to limelight when it was discovered that the total number of votes cast in the Local government area was far more than the number of voters accredited to vote there. This was alleged to have been the practice over the years the PDP was in power in Abia; and could be responsible for the underdevelopment as well as enthronement of inept leadership in Abia since 1999.

According to Otti, what Nigeria could term achievements under the on-going democratic dispensation, in terms of social and economic progress, are still a far cry from what the men and women being celebrated today(as champions of democracy) gave their energies, material resources and lives for.

In his words:” Truly, it must be admitted that we have not done enough to justify the commitments and sacrifices made by several past heroes of democracy and millions of other unsung heroes to the restoration of democracy in Nigeria.

“Democracy is essentially about development, but unfortunately, we(Nigeria,nee Abia) are still far from genuine development on several fronts. Scores of millions of our youths without jobs would surely have genuine misgivings about democracy and its promises, just as victims of rigged elections and political violence across the country would keep wondering if what we have here (in Nigeria) is the same type of democracy that ushered several countries of the world to enduring prosperity and security.”

Otti is convinced that even at that,“we must acknowledge that democracy remains the best governance and administrative vehicle to drive our nation to the dreamland of abundant prosperity and security for the greater majority. It is now beyond dispute that we cannot contemplate any other system of government outside democracy.”

He argued that our fathers, brothers and sisters could not have died that political opportunists and charlatans should rule over us. “If they knew so, they could not have sacrificed so much just to have us become serfs, wallowing in poverty while a few privileged individuals appropriate our commonwealth to themselves”, he submitted.

What is the way out, you may ask? In the words of Otti, “Our job, therefore, is(to) commit more to the development of the democracy in the country for our own good or we perish. Our democracy is still work-in- progress. Some encouraging steps have been taken, but again, we must bear no illusions as to where we are, vis-à-vis where Chief Abiola et al., wanted us to be”.

Political pundits recall that the issue of payment of reparations to African countries for the continuous exploitation of Africa’s natural resources by colonial masters as raw materials, has remained where Abiola left it till date.

In the opinion of Otti, this year’s Democracy Day celebration offers an opportunity for the political class to think again, to reflect and ask very important questions. “It is easy to blame someone else for where we are. If I have learnt anything in my life, it is the fact that blames and finger- pointing don’t solve problems.

“I am however glad, as we saw from the interests in the last elections that Nigerians, especially, the youths are beginning to make that critical connection between political leadership and public welfare. It is gratifying to see that, unlike in the past when issues of political participations were restricted to just certain demographics, many young people today are stepping forward, challenging in the political turf and insisting that leadership must become a collective responsibility, driven by accountability and sustained by active participation of the followers”.

Realising the spontaneous jubilation and celebrations that greeted his declaration by INEC as governor-elect and inauguration , inspite of the heavy rain, Otti affirmed:”As a government elected by the popular- will of the people, we are very conscious of the expectations of our youths, mothers, fathers and all demographic categories who worked so hard to see that the seed of democracy blossoms in Abia State; the individuals who insisted that we deserve better than we got over the past 24 years.

He declared: “I appreciate your sacrifices, your commitments and abiding belief in democracy. Thank you for not growing weary, for keeping the faith, and for fighting until victory was won”.

Otti, however, recalled that all lovers of democracy in Nigeria and across the world are very excited about what was collectively achieved in the last election cycle, particularly in Abia, stressing that the onus is on him and his lieutenants not to disappoint the the people.

As he put it:” We shall work round the clock to see that we reasonably meet your expectations.

“Be assured that we shall be the generation that would restore the pride of our people and deliver to future generations, a society that embodies the ideals and fruits of genuine democracy.

As we have done repeatedly, we shall do all that we need to do to recover what had been lost and set a clear example for all to see, especially, in this part of the world, that democracy remains the most preferred form of government because it aligns with our values of progress, freedom and the dignity of the human person.