The Political Corollary of Socialism as the Hallmark of Nigeria under General Buhari.
By Kunle Olajuyin
The highlight of democracy as an acceptable form of government in any part of the world is the "respect for the rule of law". It is an efficient way of taking advantage of the separations of power of governement. The judiciary upholds and interprets the law, the legislative makes and amends law where necessary and the executive manages the affairs of the state in accordance with the established laws. The executive wittingly or unwittingly is expected to be checkmate by the judiciary and legislative. The executive under any democratic constitution has no control whatsoever over either of the Judiciary or legislative. The separation of powers make this trio parallel for the purpose of having an effective government that will protect the overall interest of such sovereignty.
A situation whereby the executive starts playing God over other arms of government is no longer a democracy. In my own words, I call it, "milidemocracy" . It can be simply put as, "tyranic government". A country that doesn't respect the rule of law. Such government violates the rights of its citizens as enshrined in the constitution. Such milidemocracy government uses the military to bully and intimidate persons, groups and especially the media that rises to oppose its seemingly act of wickedness and gross violations of human rights.
Even worse than a government led by uniform men, the administration of General Buhari has not done enough to protect civilians in Nigeria. Using the DSS as his knight, he has arrested and intimidated southerners who speaks out against his act of nepoticism and biasenes in governmental roles decsion making while the likes of Myetti Allah and Gumi's are having free days with their anti people proclamations and deeds.
Buhari openly called for revolution during the Jonathan administration and he was never arrested or intimidated by the government or any of its agancies for such pronouncement. He vowed to make Nigeria ungovernable for Jonathan while granting press interview right in front of Supreme Court premises In Abuja after he lost the tribunal judgement of the 2011 presidential polls. He joined the likes of Bakare, Wole Soyinka and a hosts of others in the Jan 2012 subsidy protest and no police officer or Nigeria Army shot or came to disparse the protesters they led during the Goodluck Jonathan administration. He enjoyed the privilege of democracy; freedom of speech, right to association, right to protest et al.
However, who will say that a man who enjoyed such privileges of past administration is now the one that is treating Nigerians like second class citizens or even as enemies of their own country because he wants his wish and pronouncements final without check or criticism from anyone. The October 20, 2020 shooting of peaceful protesters under his command by men of the Nigeria Army is still fresh in our memories not to mention the recent poor Jumoke, shot dead by police officers at Ijumita area of Lagos State. Why would a government prevent people whose mandate established it from speaking up about things that seems not right to them about such government? Why the intimidation?
Fast forward. Earlier this week, #ChannelsTv conducted an interview with Governor Ortom of Benue State and one Rtd Naval officer Kunle Omowumi. They were both explicit about their opinions concerning this administration. Laying down facts and pointing attention of all and sundry to the centre of gravity of the security challenges that is constantly taking the lifes Nigerians in hundreds on daily basis. A security challenge that had placed Nigeria as the second most terrorised nation in the world, right after Afganistan in the 2020 index. Buhari administration preferred to intimidate the Channels Television instead of taking the advices enumerated in the course of these exclusive interviews. Using government agencies to dish out sanctions and summoning the hosts of the TV live Programmes.
As if that wasn't enough, the Nigeria Army is holding talks with Channels TV presenters to indirectly warn them of further exposing the injustice nature of the Buhari administration. An administration that is for nobody and for everybody.
The attributes of this administration include disobeying the rule of law. Taking decsions outside the constitution of Nigeria. Conducting arrests without warrants. Unjust detentions without trials even beyond the 48hiurs stipulated by the constitution. Using the military to oppress the citizens who they are suspose to be protecting. Allowing terrorists have free days while the citizens becomes their prey. The list is inexhaustible. The centre is no longer holding and things are falling apart.
After spending close to seven years, it has been made clear that Nigeria has lost the taste of democracy. The democracy that we celebrated in 1999. The democracy that exposed the dirty and shady wickedness of the military regimes including the Buhari 1983 regime when Oputa Panel was established to look into acts of human rights abuses under the military government. This administration has broken the horn of human rights that the likes of Gani Fawehinmi, and the NADECO team fought for. The democracy that MKO Abiola paid the ultimate price of his life for. Nigeria has shamefully taken 99 steps backward and unfortunately, we are no better than the days of Genera Sani Abacha.
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