NIGERIA AND THE IMPARATIVE OF GOOD GOVERNACE

Mazi Okey Kanu

When the National Executive Committee of PDP bestowed on Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo the National Chairmanship of the party on June 17, 2010, it was an obvious acknowledgement of the imperativeness of good governance and the urgency of free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria.

Dr Nwodo was executive governor of Enugu State and also the first General Secretary of PDP among other positions held. In his acceptance speech as the National Chairman of PDP he lamented on failed promises PDP made to the Nigerian people through the party's manifesto. He recounted the ugly situations in PDP and I quote: our party today has been handed over to godfathers at different levels who with reckless abandon, impose candidates with questionable character and no leadership qualities whatsoever, and clear the way for them to run for elections under our party flag.

 In the same acceptance speech, Dr Nwodo was bold to make promises to the nation and I quote: we must return the choice of our candidates to the people and not to individual godfathers and godmothers. The days of imposition of candidates by PDP, hoping to hoist such leaders on the people of Nigeria through rigged elections are over and over forever. Then he spoke about the social contract the party has with the people of Nigeria through the party's manifesto. He stated that because imposition of candidates, most elected officials do not honor the social contract with the electorate.

At that point he made more promises to the people of Nigeria and I quote: all candidates from the councilors to the president must campaign based on this document and if they win, must strive to actualize their campaign promises at all levels of government. Happily, our dear president, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has taken the bold and praiseworthy step of assuring Nigerians and the international community of his administration's commitment to free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria in 2011. This is a worthy legacy the PDP must assist the president to give to our nation.

It is true that the political and economic conditions in Nigeria are not anything to write home about, but I will not give up on Nigeria and neither should you. One of the greatest problems facing Nigeria politically is disenfranchisement of the electorate through imposition of candidates. The offspring of this problem is election rigging. Dr Nwodo preached the doctrine of all inclusiveness in his acceptance speech and the president Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan promised the nation free, fair and credible election come 2011. Since it is said that, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh,   let us pay attention to the PDP federal administration, demand that they deliver to us all the promises made to the people of Nigeria.

 If Dr Nwodo returns the choice of the candidates to the people as promised, the elected officials will owe allegiance to the electorate and thereby treat and represent us better. And if the president delivers free, fair and credible elections in 2011 as promised, it will have multiplier effects that will surely improve the economy of the nation. Let us hold them accountable to the electorate.

Good reasoning will make some to ask, why PDP when there are 50 different political parties in Nigeria.  Two reasons, firstly, PDP is the ruling political party and controls 28 states of the 36 states in Nigeria, which approximates 80%of our population under their control. Secondly, there are no ideological differences between PDP and the rest of the political parties; whatever happens in PDP, happens in all other parties.

I promise to make available at a later date the entire acceptance speech of Dr Nwodo as the new national chairman of PDP for everybody to know what the new leadership of PDP is promising the nation.

My argument is that time has come for us to ask what we can do for Nigeria not for what Nigeria can do for us. Let us keep the Nation over and above ethnicity, religion or even political parties. Let us emphasize Nigeria; it is the common denominator that holds all together.