SIR: Democracy, by definition, is known as a form of government where the citizens have the power to vote. As the well known quote of Abraham Lincoln says Democracy is a government “of the people, by the people and for the people”. But now in Nigeria, the reverse is the case; democracy has turned to be the government of some people, by some people and for some people.
What happened eight months ago during the Kano State gubernatorial supplementary election where thugs were allowed to move freely to threaten and intimidate people at polling booths is terrible enough.
However, what happened on Saturday November, 16 in the Kogi State elections is a clear pointer that democracy is about to became something else in the country.
People were beaten up mercilessly by thugs during the election period, some got injured, and some even died.
Snatching of ballot boxes and kidnapping of INEC officials became order of the day. How on earth the country can keep running like this is a question that begs for answers. We cannot conduct a free fair and credible elections. There is no trust in the judiciary to protect common man.
We are not operating a monarchical form of government where the king rules and citizens are his subjects. The word of the king is power only in monarchical form of government but in democracy, the voice of the people is the will of the people and government functionaries must listen.
Democracy is about will of the people. Government should serve the people and government exist to meet the needs of the people. Denying them the right to exercise their freedom to choose their representatives as mentioned in the constitution of the country’s unacceptable. We are now in the 21st century but running the nation as if we are in 18th century.
Let us take our country back and let Nigeria be governed by the will of the people. We must pray to have leaders who place Nigeria first before anything else.
I remain optimistic that my dear country Nigeria will get there but sometimes I feel like giving up.
- Salim Ibrahim A Kaleh, salimibrahim775@gmail.com
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