Grassroots Democracy Thrives in Nigeria
The democratic process in the West African Republic of Niger was rudely interrupted recently by a military coup in a purported bid to rescue the will of the people from being overturned by a despot President. In neighbouring Nigeria the “Giant of Africa”, despite upheavals in the presidency, democracy continues to thrive at the grassroots.
Ondo State is an oil-producing State which has avoided the rebel attacks and kidnappings prevalent in other Oil States of the federation. In this world-exclusive interview, Feel Nubia’s Editor In Chief Tunde Oshin sat down with the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Honorable Taofik Abdulsalam Olawale to talk about grassroots democracy in that corner of Africa and the great harm the military has done to the development of democracy in Nigeria.
Feel Nubia: How would you describe democracy?
Abdulsalam: You know different types of definitions have been given to democracy. The most common one is the government of the people for the people by the people. In the past, our forefathers used to do something similar with the Kabiyesi (Monarch) sitting down with the chiefs to take a decision on behalf of the people. I just try to relate the two things together because as the Speaker you sit down and listen to your colleagues, various decisions, and various opinions and try to relate them to your own. This is the way I see the present democracy. I look at democracy as something you do to bring about the development of the people. As a Legislator, you can’t do it alone. There should be a nexus between you and the executive because your own is just to approve funding. Somebody else spends the money and the person spending the money will still come to tell you this is how I spent the money, so if he knows he is still coming back to tell you how funds were spent when you ask him to do something to develop the area you are representing, he will be able to do it. So it is a nexus between you and your people to bring development to their doorstep.
Feel Nubia: What do you believe democracy should deliver to the people: the so-called dividends of democracy?
Abdulsalam: When you are talking about the dividends of democracy you are talking about good roads, health, and everything that relates to socioeconomic development. I want to go to the hospital to get drugs so I can get there in time. I get a doctor and nurses to attend to me. I want to go to a good school where the teachers will be 100% committed to my course. I want to take my vehicle from my town to the next town or village; I have good roads to pass. These are the things a democracy can bring to our people. But when you take a look at the whole picture you wonder if you can get all these things at a go. It is not possible. Government has to prioritize. It may decide to concentrate on roads now for the next three years or focus on health. But while planning your activities there are some you can’t neglect. Because if you say you want to prioritize roads, you can’t leave education and health aside you can’t leave water out of the picture. 20 years ago in this part of the world, there was the problem of guinea worm, but the government has been able to eradicate it. Past governors such as Chief Adefarati and Dr Agagu were able to do something different from their predecessors by sinking boreholes for the people. Dividends of democracy are things people can benefit from either directly or indirectly from the government. You can’t go round giving money directly to people.
Feel Nubia: How should elected members of the House relate to those who voted them into office?
Abdulsalam: Once you are elected there should be a close relationship because these days when you are elected you don’t go back to the people until say a year or so till the time of the next election. As a Legislator at least no matter far, the place is, you must go back to your constituency once a month. In a state assembly like ours, many of us go home at least once every week to feel the pulse of our people. We all have our various constituency offices where one receives visitors. Even when we are not there if anyone in the constituency wants to do something instead of coming down to Akure (the state capital) they go down to our office and drop a proposal. We have sort of village assemblies. They may not feature everybody per se, probably just the leaders in the community such as Chiefs or the Kabiyesi. We sit down and rub our minds on happenings in the community. Without our people’s support, we can’t succeed as Legislators.
Feel Nubia: How do you go about getting members of your party to work towards specific goals?
Abdulsalam: As a leader, you need to consult. Even when you are taking a decision you have to pass your decision through to members. You throw issues open for your colleagues in the House to discuss. You want all decisions to be theirs. I allow the members of the House to do the talking. It is from their own deliberations that I will now pick a decision that will be the decision of everybody. You can’t just give orders as a Speaker. After all, you are not the Executive Governor. The Speaker is just primus inter pares. You throw your decision back to them and they make the decision on your behalf. So at the end of the day, everyone will be happy because it is a collective responsibility.
Feel Nubia: How about working across party lines? How do members of your party manage to work with members of other political parties?
Abdulsalam: In the Ondo State House of Assembly we have 3 political parties: Alliance for Democracy (AD); the Labor Party (LP); and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) we have been able to work together because we see ourselves as one irrespective of political party affiliation. We see ourselves as one in the sense that we believe we are all from this state. After leaving office the people will not ask you if you were a member of PDP or LP or AD. You are making decisions that will change the lives of people, you put party loyalty aside and you take decisions that will help in moving the state forward. Once you get that right you can then go back to your different parties and work on plans to try to get your individual party manifestos accepted by members of a different party.
Feel Nubia: How would you describe the relationship between the Legislature and the Executive?
Abdulsalam: That is one area we are still trying to iron out as far as Nigeria’s democracy is concerned. If you cast your mind back whenever there is a change of government by the military, they always have the Executive and the Judiciary, and the Legislature is always set aside. Because of this democracy has been bastardized. The Executives are just coming to terms with the fact that they shouldn’t do anything that will rubbish their reputations, because the legislature is always watching. A good working relationship between the legislature and executive is essential in the different States of Nigeria. There is no question of “I sponsored all the members of the House, therefore I can do anything I like” no.
Feel Nubia: How about the Judiciary? What should be the relationship between the Legislature and the Judiciary?
Abdulsalam: The Legislature is to make laws and the Judiciary is to adjudicate
The judiciary can’t do without the legislature and any law we make can be adjudicated by the courts. We as politicians always have this at the back of our minds.
Feel Nubia: Let’s look at the role the judiciary has played in reversing the results of certain elections. What’s your take on the fact that we have had the courts cancel the results of so many elections all over the country?
Abdulsalam: I am a lawyer. I don’t want to comment on the decision of any judge or a justice of a Tribunal, Appeal Court or Supreme Court. In every decision taken by the judiciary, they have their facts either rightly or wrongly so it is the facts before them they will deliberate upon – whether the facts were fraudulently obtained as witnessed in some states or genuinely obtained. It is the evidence the judges have that they will deliberate upon. Sometimes the evidence could be fake – like what is happening to some members of the Ondo State House of Assembly where some politicians are trying to doctor their papers at the Appeal Court.
Feel Nubia: When President Umaru Yar’Adua took office he said that electoral reform would be something on which he would focus his attention. In your opinion from where should this reform begin, the masses or the ruling class?
Abdulsalam: There is this saying that society gets the sort of leadership they deserve. Garbage in, garbage out. It is what the society wants that they will get. If we all take a decision and say we want a free and fair election we will get it. Look at what happened in Anambra State it might not be perfect but people are commending the gubernatorial election. Everybody that contested that election has been commending INEC. But [as a politician] if after casting your vote, you heard that some people have hijacked the ballot box and some people have killed somebody somewhere [you cannot pretend ignorance and claim] it is not true. It is your friends [and] your well-wishers who may have decided to take a decision on your behalf without your knowledge. To have a free and fair election in Nigeria, all of us must be involved.
Feel Nubia: What are your plans for your political future?
Abdulsalam: If my people give me the opportunity, I hope to run for the Senate.
