India had its parliamentary election last week, and the opposition party won. In an ennobling show of sportsmanship, the ruling party conceded victory unconditionally. Head, News Desk, VICTOR EBIMOMI, takes a look at the scenario and writes on its lessons for Nigerian politicians in the run up to the 2015 general election
Narendra Modi
India stunned the world penultimate Friday with what in many countries, especially Africa, could have been out of the norm. In a keenly-contested presidential election, which lasted for days, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), defeated the ruling Congress Party. Without contestation, the ruling party congratulated the opposition party for its feat.
The BJP (meaning: Indian People’s Party) has over 300 of the 543 parliamentary seats, which puts it in pole position to form the next government. With its candidate, Narendra Modi, the opposition BJP has dealt the first blow to the Congress’ long hold on power because this is the first parliamentary majority by a single party since 1984.
Headed by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, the Congress Party has crashed to its worst performance with less than 50 seats after 10 years in power.
Commenting on the development, spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, said that what has happened in India is not impossible in Nigeria, save for the fact that Nigerian politicians find it difficult to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship.
He, however, maintained that it is possible to achieve such a feat in Nigeria, expressing optimism that 2015 could be the defining period for such a political watershed.
“It is a big lesson that a ruling party can be defeated. If we have been having free and fair elections in Nigeria, PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) would have been thrown into the dustbin. It is only that the ruling party likes to celebrate criminality and rigging.
“But we will get there because we are part of the global community, not in isolation. If India, with its population, can have a free and fair election, we can also do it here. The election of 2015 will be free and fair. If anybody tries any funny thing, it will not be acceptable to Nigerians,” he said.
In similar vein, Lagos State PDP Publicity Secretary, Ganiyu Taofik, believes that in politics, anything can happen, but expresses concern about the desperation of opposition in most times to want to supplant the ruling party and in the process causing infraction to the electoral rule.
His words: “It is a lesson not only for Nigeria but the entire world to ensure that justice prevails. It is a lesson that credible election is what must rescue any democracy. Our problem is the desperation of the opposition that does not see any good in government in power. Nigeria has moved from the era of dictatorship and we are improving on electoral challenge. The opposition party should bring workable alternatives rather than blackmail.”
To President of Voters’ Awareness Initiative (VAI), Wale Ogunade, India’s election is a pointer that in Nigeria the politicians still have a lot to imbibe towards the country’s electoral maturity.
The constitutional lawyer and activist argues that it is high time Nigerian politicians dropped the tendency for desperation in their electoral dispositions.
He also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to borrow a leaf from the dexterity exhibited by India’s electoral umpire that made the election acceptable to the electorate.
“It should not be victory at all costs or do-or-die affair as our politicians believe. They should always respect the choice of the people. Politicians should always accept the verdict of the people, as they speak with their votes. That is what the Indian politicians have done.
“It is only in Nigeria that we have the word ‘rigging’. Even in Africa here, during the last election in South Africa, nobody talked about rigging. No violence; no bullet was fired, not to talk of anybody being killed. If anything, South Africa is noted for violence; despite their antecedents, the election was still peaceful. So, my advice to Nigerian politicians is that they should play the game according to the rule.
“INEC should make a careful study of the elections in South Africa and India, with regard to time and logistics. It is only in Nigeria that election that is slated for 9am will not start until noon or 3pm,” he said.
Dr. Tunde Oseni of Department of Politics and International Relations, Lead University, Ibadan, draws some parallels between Nigeria and India, stressing that because of similarities between the two countries, the election should act as inspiration and lesson for Nigerian politicians in particular and Nigerians in general.
“We can draw a number of comparisons between the two countries. India is the largest country in Asia and Nigeria is the largest country in Africa. Besides, the two countries have certain characteristics such as large population, as well as multiplicity of ethnicity and religion. India was also colonised by Britain. So Nigeria can learn a lot from it,” he said.
According to the don, what has happened in India is also a sign of a growing and maturing democracy that has been so much consolidated to the extent that the intrigues and unsavoury conducts that usually characterise elections in Nigeria and some African countries are virtually non-existent.
He explained that when an election process is fully consolidated, it would be easy to have a free and fair poll that will be acceptable to all contenders.
“What happened in India is a kind of election you can describe as having elements of consolidation where you can easily have free and fair election. In a consolidated democracy, the winner and loser accept the outcome,” he said.
As Nigeria gears up for general election next year, Oseni urged Nigerian politicians to work towards credible elections that will inspire confidence in the system. He also enjoined them not to see politics as a do-or-die affair or a personal thing, but as a way to serve the people.
“Politicians should try as much as possible to see politics not as a do-or-die affair, but a means to an end; and the end is service to the people,” he advised.
Also taking a critical look at election in India vis-a-vis what obtains in Nigeria, Archbishop Peter Okoduwa noted that India was able to have that landmark election because the parties have clear ideologies to sell to their people.
The professor of Theology faulted Nigerian politicians and political parties’ way of political engineering, saying that the politicians only revel in attacking one another rather than telling Nigerians what they have to offer.
The political parties, he observed, are just mere platforms rather than ideological platforms for politicians to espouse their ideological leaning to the masses.
His words: “It is ideology that brought calm to India’s election, not attacks. In Nigeria, the politicians should show ideology, not attacks. The man that won the election in India did not even know that he was going to win, but by the time Indians knew that he had a clear vision for India, they voted for him.
“Nigeria has platforms, not political parties, because political parties are built on ideology. Any party that has ideology will tell the people what it has to offer, not attacking the opposition. For instance, in the United States of America; they have two major political parties with different and clear ideologies. The Americans know that and they vote along that pattern.”
The renowned cleric advised Nigerian politicians to take a cue from the maturity exhibited by the defeated Congress Party of india, adding that apart from the fact that the margin was wide, the ruling party accepted the defeat in good faith, and rather than polemics and diatribes, they threw in the towel and said “they were going to build their party for future elections”.
Away from the politicians, Okoduwa advised the electorate not to remain nonchalant, but ask questions when necessary. For him, that is the only way to keep the politicians on their toes.
“Nigerians should also learn to speak out; they should ask questions, so that the politicians can fulfil whatever they promised right from the ward, local government and state levels when they get to office,” he advised.
Interestingly, Modi, the man of the moment in India, has promised to unite the whole country, irrespective of political persuasion, an act that is alien in this part of the world where winner takes it all and efforts to develop the country ignored.
“India has won; good days are coming,” Modi said at a victory rally in Vadodara in his home state of Gujarat, where thousands chanted his name.
In a clear message to those who have tagged him a polarising leader, he said: “Even if we have clear majority to run the government, it is our responsibility to take everyone along in running India.”
