emocracy has been defined variously by many scholars; Thowever, certain features describe its essence and, thus, make it important as the right system of choosing representatives of the people. One of such is accountability. Democracy assumes that every elected representative of the people is, and should be accountable to those people who gave them mandate ab initio. In the same way, every government, constituted in a democracy, is accountable to the people from whom it derives its existence. Another feature is the credibility of the process of elections through which the representatives emerge. This must be guaranteed for democracy to be meaningful.
In Nigeria, despite the several hitches in our present democratic journey, it is heart-warming that we have had 13 years of continuous democratic experience. This, in itself, is quite significant in view of the fact that our previous efforts at entrenching democracy in the polity were either aborted midway or simply brought to us dead on arrival. However, now that democracy is steadily being nurtured in our system, it is pertinent to note that this is the time to encourage certain tendencies that would further help in consolidating its basic principles and values in the country.
One of such is the need to emphasize the central role of the police in achieving success of democracy. Indeed, one key element that defines a democratic society is the availability of an impartial police- a police that is subject to the rule of law, a police that will protect rather than bully the people to carry out the wishes of some powerful people, a police force that will intervene in the life of citizens only under limited and carefully controlled circumstances and a police that is publicly accountable. Such is the police force that will command respect from the public in a democracy.
Over the years, we have had ugly experiences of police acting partially in support of a ruling party. One worrying aspect of such open display of bias in favour of the party in power is evil connivance with anti- democratic elements to thwart the electoral process. From the First Republic till date, the police have always been involved in shameful scheming that tends towards partisan tendencies which scuttle the right of the people to freely elect their representatives.
It is disheartening remembering how, in the Second Republic, the police were openly aiding electoral malpractices, such as ballot box snatching, unlawful arrest and intimidation of voters and other shameful acts. Indeed, the police, that time, did not hide its partisanship as an appendage of the then ruling National Party of Nigeria, (NPN). Similarly, the police, during the Obasanjo administration, played ignominious role in conniving with the then Maurice Iwu-led INEC to make a mockery of the democratic aspirations of many Nigerians. That time, Iwu and his partners, rather than give Nigerians the result of their elections at the polling booths, only allocated votes to parties from the corner of INEC office. Thanks to the judicial process that overturned some of the fraudulent outcomes of such connivance.
Unfortunately, we have started witnessing another needless police harassment of people who express their rights to freedom of expression and association as guaranteed by our constitution. The recent clampdown on the G7 PDP governors gives an impression that the country is yet to get out of the problem of police involvement in politics. The same goes for the drama playing out in Rivers State where the state Commissioner of Police is unnecessarily getting himself involved politicking. The sad thing about what is currently going on in Rivers State is that the leadership of the state’s police command has become so enmeshed in the politics of the moment that it is difficult to see how it could become impartial in the event of an election in the state.
In a democracy, the ideal thing is for police powers to be used according to the rule of law and not for the flagrant abuse of the ruler or other perceived powers-that-be. This is because the police force is so important that it can be a major pillar or a major threat to a democratic society. Police are such moral and legal actors that may protect democracy by their example of reverence for the law and by suppressing crime. The police must, therefore, not be a law unto themselves.
In spite of strong pressures and temptations, the police should resist the tendency to act in an overtly political manner and should not serve the partisan interests of the party in power. Their purpose must not be to enforce political conformity. The police force should have no colour, whether political, religious or social. Also, holding unpopular beliefs or behaving in unconventional, yet legal, ways are not adequate grounds for interfering with citizen’s liberty as the police have an obligation to protect the rights of every citizen.
It is important to emphasise that in a democracy, the police should act as the protector of the rights of everyone. Democratic societies strive for equal law enforcement. Hence, citizens are to be treated in equivalent ways. Police are trained to behave in a generally suitable manner such that even if their personal attitude departs from the demands of the role they are playing, this must not affect their behaviour. Police should always show neutrality when they enforce the rules regardless of the characteristics of the persons or group involved.
As we build up for another critical electioneering period, the police need to become more professional and dispassionate in the way they carry out their constitutional duties. It is sheer ignorance that makes the police to act as a stooge of the ruling party in a multi-party democracy. The reality is that the police are more answerable to the people, who voted the government into power, rather than the ruling party or government which derives legitimacy from the people. A situation where the police see opposition parties and their leaders as enemies of the state (who must be crushed) is, to say the least, crude and unprofessional.
Very soon, we are going to have elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states. In order to ensure that the democratic wishes of people in these states are not trampled upon, the leadership of the Nigerian Police Force needs to re-orientate its people about their constitutional role in a democracy. Members of the civil society, NGOs and other stakeholders equally have a huge role to play in re-orientating the police to embrace democratic tendencies. The Nigerian military have, to a large extent, demonstrated sufficient understanding of its role as a neutral force in a democracy. In the last 13 years, the military has been able to professionally uphold democratic values and principles. Unfortunately, same cannot be said of the police, perhaps because they are more civilian in nature and thus tend not to see why they should not have positions or preferences for political groupings.
This is the right time for the police to embrace noble democratic ideals that would enhance the stability of the polity. We already have enough problems to contend with as a nation. We cannot, therefore, afford to add an unprofessional and partisan police to the list of our already gargantuan challenges. The police, no matter the pressure and intimidation, should remain non-partisan. This is the only way to ensure that the democratic right of the people, to freely elect their representatives, is protected. Our hope and prayer is for a Nigeria where justice, peace and the rule of law reign supreme and this is the time to entrench that.
•Ibirogba is Hon. Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lagos State
