Jigawa State government had last year proposed to conduct the Local Government Council (LGC) elections this year but to our surprise, the Jigawa State Independent Electoral Commission (JSIEC) recently announced the postponement of the promised and well-publicized elections earlier scheduled to take place on February 13. The opposition party, PDP had spent millions of naira for the purchase of the forms and other issues related to the elections and preparations were in high gear. Aside the fact that no concrete or convincing reason(s) were given for the cancellation, nothing has been heard about when it will be conducted. Since many states like Kano, Zamfara, Sokoto, FCT and Niger etc have conducted theirs; we have not seen the reason(s) why Jigawa cannot conduct its own. This postponement has generated ill-will in the minds of many Nigerians whether democracy has come to stay in this era of change most especially in Jigawa State.
Is Governor Badaru afraid that his non-performance will lead him to electoral losses and relevance if he conducts the LGC elections now? Despite the propaganda that 37,000 people decamped from PDP to APC in December last year, including high calibre dignitaries such as the APC National Chairman, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, about 10 APC governors, serving Ministers, Senators and Reps etc; it is inexplicable that the state government will put the election on hold.
Clearly, the decision taken by JSIEC has no basis either in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or any existing law in Jigawa State. The reasons given are groundless and illogical. If the APC is jittery about confronting PDP in an election organized by its electoral commission, they will go into coma come 2019 when the opposition party is ready to crush them in the national election. With the dismal performance of the APC-led government in Jigawa State, no political office holder including the governor has the capacity and courage to go on campaign tour in the rural areas. The masses are waiting for the delivery of the empty and spurious campaign promises of the 2015 elections.
Since Governor Badaru has gone ahead to appoint Local Government Council caretakers committee, it is obvious he is not at all ready to conduct the elections. He should bear in mind the former INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega’s statement that: “Democratic development in this country requires solid foundation at the local government level and therefore, we must ensure that official are elected at the local government level and the issue of sole administrator or caretaker committee should be a thing of the past”.
As election allows members of an organization or community to choose representatives who will hold positions of authority, one important election is the one to select the leaders of local governments. Local Government is the arm of government which provides and supervises administrative, fiscal, and other services to the people who reside within its territorial boundaries. It is the level of government most directly accountable to the public.
The chance to decide who will govern at this level serves as an opportunity for the public to make choices about the policies, programmes and future directions of government action. At the same time, elections promote accountability. The threat of defeat at the polls exerts pressure on those in power to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and take account of popular interests and wishes when they make their decisions.
True, some State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) held local government council elections in the country after the 2015 polls with some obstacles. In some states, no opposition party got even chairman or councillorship seats. Violence prevailed in some states like Niger, which even led to loss of lives and property. Truly, the election established doubts in the minds of many Nigerians on whether democracy has come to stay or not.
Local government councils, the third tier of government has under the present democratic dispensation become the most abused institution of government by state governors. Although closer to the people, they are being monopolised by governors who even determine how and when the elections should be conducted and those that should be elected as chairmen and councillors in the state despite the constitutional directives to conduct the elections as soon as possible. This was certainly not the case under the immediate past administration of Sule Lamido. Indeed, he ensured that Local Government Council elections were conducted in line with what the constitution requires and directed. Lamido’s style of leadership, his promotion of internal democracy, peaceful co-existence, mutual understanding and national development and well-being of his people has stood him out as an exemplary leader.
A stalwart of the old PRP and one of the PDP’s founding fathers, he knows the true meaning of democracy and citizenship. The battle-tested political veteran knows Nigerian politics inside out. With perhaps the possible exception of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, there is no Nigerian politician who has political friends and associates from all parts of the country more than Lamido as he is easily the rallying point for PDP and the northern politics.
My advice to Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Badaru Talamiz is to emulate the attributes of his predecessor, Sule Lamido. During Lamido’s tenure, the opposition enjoyed equal rights without sentiments or any attempts at segregation.
As it stands, Jigawa PDP has set new a formula and strategy for its rebirth. Lamido’s day to day interactions with people, his ideologies, principles and achievements will surely make the party bounce back, better and stronger. I therefore appeal to Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Badaru Talamiz to allow democracy to be. He should please conduct the local government council elections as soon as possible and as the constitution provides. This will go a long way to test the popularity and achievement of APC as well whether they can stand the challenge.
- Adamu wrote in from Kafin-Hausa, Jigawa State.
