Democracy In Nigeria
Nigeria’s history has been dominated by fraudulent elections, violent political conflicts and military coups. The country’s two previous attempts at democratic rule (1960-66 and 1979-83) were both dogged by allegations of electoral fraud and violence before they were cut short by military coups. Despite repeated promise to abide by the rule of law, elections continued to be perceived as a do or die affair. As soon as election results are announced, defeated political aspirants will engineer their political thugs to unleash violence and try to have their perceived enemies harassed to surrender.
Since the return to democratic rule on 29th May, 1999, a major behavioural shift has occurred among Nigerian politicians. While some politicians continue to practice violence and political thuggery, many more now prefer to embrace judicial channels for conflict resolution. This change springs from the transformation within the judiciary itself which has since 1999 played an increasingly exertive role. The clearest evidence of this fact is the increasing number of judicial decisions that have upturned the result of several rigged elections in favour of opposition parties or individuals opposed to the government and the dominant political party. The Supreme Court alone was said to have delivered 277 judgments in six months. The admonition here is for the judiciary to be more courageous in the discharge of its constitutional role as an impartial arbiter in the country’s democratic politics in general. To round off this point, I dare say that democratic government in Nigeria should therefore be organized in accordance with the principles of popular consultation, majority will, political and economic equality, majority rule and popular sovereignty of the people.
The Role Of The Judiciary
Today, the role of the judiciary in the nation has become extremely important because it sets different guidelines for the smooth and legitimate functioning of various governments and non-governmental sectors. Any nation could easily enter a crisis without law and order and then instability may prevail. Therefore, every country needs to have an effective system of law and order that can be guaranteed by a sound and impartial judicial system. The judiciary, as guardian of the Constitution, has the power to declare invalid any legislation, policy or action which, in its view, are contrary to the provisions of the Constitution.
The power of judicial review ensures that the rights and interests of the people of Nigeria cannot be overridden by either the Legislature or the Executive. Whenever a person thinks he or she is being deprived of his or her rights as a citizen, he/she is entitled to approach the court. As we all know, cases of injustice against the people have risen nowadays due to varied reasons. There is unjust discrimination happening, and therefore, the judiciary must step in to prevent this. There is no question that politicians and bureaucrats have failed in their responsibilities to give this country a clean, honest government that is accountable to the masses. It is the judiciary alone that can assert itself without fear or favour, calling a spade a spade. Without the right judiciary, no country would be in peace, and there’ll be confusion everywhere in the country.
In this regard, our courts must ensure that aggrieved persons get justice and that extant laws and regulations are enforced. It is necessary to let the law of the land prevail and this can happen only if the judiciary is made stronger. It is important to ensure a swift and successful administration of justice for all. Nigeria only survives if her judicial system lives; Nigeria dies if it stifles its judicial system. No power should be enabled, however great, to override the judicial process. The secret of democratic advancement for this country is free and equal justice.
Promoting the Rule of Law in Governance
The basic difference between tyranny, dictatorship and democracy in my view is the regulatory effect of law on society. The rule of law presupposes the legal principle that law should govern a nation, and not arbitrary decisions by individual government officials. It primarily refers to the influence and authority of law within the society, particularly as a constraint upon behaviour, including the behaviour of government officials. The rule of law implies that every citizen is subject to the law of the land, including lawmakers themselves. In this sense, the judiciary must resist and confront any resort to autocracy, dictatorship, or oligarchy where the rulers hold themselves high and above the law, as could be seen in the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu (1986) NWLR (Pt. 18) 621.
Safeguard of the fundamental rights of citizens
The United Nations General Assembly High-level Meeting on the Rule of Law, held on September 24, 2010 declared thus:
“Human rights, the rule of law and democracy are interlinked and mutually reinforcing and that they belong to the universal and indivisible core values and principles of the United Nations” Indeed, government responsiveness to the interests and needs of the greatest number of citizens is strictly associated with the capacity of democratic institutions and processes to bolster the dimensions of rights, equality and accountability.”
To be continued tomorrow
Adegboruwa is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
