By Chioma Gabriel, deputy Editor
Today is the beginning of a very significant year in Nigeria . This year, elections would hold in Nigeria at various levels in  government but certain things must be done for free and fair elections to be achieved.

Nigeria has been battling with  challenges in its body polity which commenced towards the end of last year. There were explosions in Abuja,  Jos, Yenagoa and the fear of more explosions in other parts of Nigeria. There have also been religious and ethnic skirmishes in various parts of the country.

Apprehension has also risen over importation of arms and ammunition in some parts of the country. With the manner of weapons being used in some of the attacks witnessed, fear has continued to spread that this year might be more prone to violence even as elections approach.  Based on these, eminent Nigerians spoke with Saturday Vanguard on what should be the focus of government this year.

Govt should tighten security—Maitama  Sule

First Republic politician and Nigeria’s former permanent representative to the United Nations Ambassador Maitama Sule has urged Nigerians to be more accommodating and eschew ethnic and religious violence as we step into the new year. He also made a case for tight security to prevent further pandemonium in the polity.

Maitama Sule

“So much have  happened in Nigeria in the year that just ended and we must make sure these things don’t follow us into the new year. Nigerians should endeavour to be more accommodating towards one another.  We should tolerate each other and our religious and ethnic differences.

We should  pray for this country especially in the new year  we have just entered. We know what this year signifies in our political history and we should pray that our elections should hold in a peaceful environment. We must ensure free and fair elections this year.

Nigerians should not only vote but we should protect our votes and ensure that right leadership is enthroned in our body polity. We should commit ourselves to a peaceful Nigeria by being more tolerant towards one another irrespective of our religious orientations. This country is bigger than all of us and we should ensure peaceful co-existence with one another.

“ We are also urging government to tighten security in the nation. Some of the things happening ought not to be happening and government with the support of the security forces  should tighten security in key places as political rallies and other electoral activities commence this month. We must live in a peaceful environment and we must hold peaceful elections”

We need stability in the land —Isyaku Ibrahim

Isyaku Ibrahim is a founding member of the PDP, and remains on its Board of Trustees as Deputy National Chairman, Finance,  but he  has not been  happy with the way things are going on in the party as he reflects in this interview.

Excerpts:

What are your expectations in this new year of elections? What should be the focus of government?

Well, we have been having crises all over the places. There were crises in Akwa Ibom, in Plateau, in Maiduguri and other places in Nigeria. Because of all these crises, I’m sure what Nigerians should be praying for is stability in the land. We need prayers for the year 2011 for this country to have peace and stability in the year so that the elections should be free and fair.

We should know the kind of leaders  we want for our country.  Nigerians, it appears  attach too much sentiments on things  and  because of that, we don’t appreciate democracy. And when we put too much sentiment in our way of doing things, we can never move forward. Our founding fathers  were politicians and  nationalists and they were there to serve Nigeria. All they  wanted was an opportunity to serve Nigeria but unfortunately, during our own time, politicians have no regard for service.

Otherwise, how do you explain a situation when the workers were demanding N18,000 minimum wage but the government is saying they don’t have money where as these Nigerians  live in the same country where members of the House of Reps take home N10 million a month  and the senators take home N15 million a month. These legislators  go to the same markets with the people who are asking for minimum wage of N18,000. So, what kind of a country do you want to build?

I’m drawing the attention of politicians in this country to this fact. Let them show fairness to the people and put into consideration, what the ordinary people are passing through.

This is the year of elections. What do you have to say about that especially with the current situation in some parts of the country?

Democracy is about the rule of law and when you want to be a leader in a democracy like we have today, you must be willing to abide by the principles of the rule of law. Leadership should not be a do or die affair like some politicians are making it. Politics should be a platform to serve people, not a platform to force yourself on the people. So, Nigerian politicians should organise themselves, otherwise this country cannot move forward.

You can see crises in the parties. Look at what is going on in the PDP. The party has not conducted primaries and already, some people have assumed they will emerge candidates and are already sharing positions. In a presidential system, primaries must hold first and at the end of the convention, delegates to the convention would choose the flagbearer  from the aspirants.

The one who won  majority votes  would emerge  the flagbearer of the party. It is then that he will decide who is going to be his running mate. But here, we have people who are going to the primaries but they have already chosen their running mates. That is not the way to do things in a presidential system.

It is ridiculous. That is not democracy. Can you imagine a situation where Jonathan visited the Northern states and for you to see Jonathan, you have to drive all the way from Ilorin to Lafia. In a democratic  system, he has to go state by state. So, I don’t understand what is going on in PDP. The party does not seem to have connection wit
h the masses. That is not the way to go about campaigns. You must see the people in their home-front.

Look at General Buhari, when he campaigns, he does so state by state and that is how things should be in a presidential system. Look at what they are subjectingthe people to, talking about consensus candidate. But the truth is that in democracy, you don’t talk about consensus. The word consensus is not democratic. In democracy, everybody has the right to seek for votes in a primary.

The aspirants will come to the people and tell them their programmes, what they have to offer. Afterwards, the people will vote for their favourite aspirants.That is democracy. But now, a few people will gather and produce a consensus candidate and that I say, is not democratic because it is the delegates to the convention that will decide on a favourite

2011:  It’s free and fair elections or anarchy – David West

Professor Tam David West in this encounter, makes a case for free and fair elections this year or Nigeria will be creating room for anarchy.

He urges Nigerians not to look at what a political party could do but to look unto God for peace, stability and free and fair elections.

This is 2011: What do you want government to focus on this year beside elections?

I don’t expect anything good from PDP government because it is PDP that put this country in the position it is today. It is the PDP government that is responsible for all the crises going on in different parts of the country. Theirs  is a system of injustice. So what do you think it can do in 2011? Nothing. This government cannot do anything in 2011. What has it done in the past? Nothing.

Look at what is going on in Plateau state. Check out the Boko Haram crisis and all forms of skirmishes in different parts of the country. The government couldn’t do anything. So now,  we are in 2011, don’t bother with what government should focus on. Rather, be asking what Nigerians should focus on. PDP cannot  help Nigeria. The party has no programme to focus on. What  we Nigerians should ensure in this year of election is take our destiny in our hands. We should cast our votes and protect these votes with the last drop of blood in our veins. PDP cannot do that for us.

So, Nigerians should pray to God to focus us on the path of justice, free and fair elections. We must ensure change this year through our votes. I read somewhere of Atiku saying that if peaceful change does not come, violent change will. It was not really Atiku that said this. This was said by Machiavelli about 500 years ago. Machiavelli said that those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable. So, this PDP has failed us over the years and it can never lead us aright. That is why we should pray to God to focus us on the path of justice, free and fair elections. Otherwise, we are going to face violence.

You are hearing of bomb explosions here and there and the truth is that this government cannot afford security. A government that cannot protect its citizenry is not a government. Government is relevant when it serves the interest of the common man. This government does not. What we have in place today is a PDP government, by PDP and for PDP. This is not the government of the people.

The interest of the people is the last thing on their minds. There is no security. More than half of the people’s population are living below poverty line. So, we should look up to God to give us peace, to give us security and not the PDP government because it has nothing to offer Nigerians. It is only God that will give us security, justice and free and fair elections. The truth is, if we don’t have free and fair elections this year, there will be anarchy in this country. PDP has taken so much from the people of this country and we should not let them take more.