Dr Nankin Bagudu is the Executive Director, League for Human Rights. In this interview with ISAAC SHOBAYO, Dr Bagudu speaks on the prevailing situation in the country, constitutional review, local government election, and other issues.
Looking at the situation in Nigeria, it is like the country is moving in a cycle and not building on the foundation laid by our founding fathers. What is your assessment of the present situation?
Well, no doubt the founding fathers meant very well for this country. I remember the efforts that Chief Obafemi Awolowo made to try and improve our society. We can see an example of this in the Western Region. They put in all the efforts. I’m sure most of them will be disappointed in their graves. Ahmadu Bello also did his best, Azikiwe did his best, Osadebe did his best, and so on and so forth. But what is happening in Nigeria today is quite disturbing in the sense that things are deteriorating. The standard of living has collapsed and life has become very, very difficult for the poor and the masses.
We are very disturbed about whether this country has a future, considering the way life is becoming more difficult for the masses. Life is short, nasty, and brutish, as they would say. Therefore, we are very disturbed as Nigerians, wondering whether there is a future for our children. All the efforts that the founding fathers put in during the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s are [now being ruined]. It is very worrisome for everyone, leaving us to wonder whether or not this country has a future.
Before this administration came on board, there was a sense of hope that things would get better…
(Cuts in) Actually, there was a lot of hope that things would improve over the past eight to 10 years. But from every indication, things are not improving as we expected. The cost of living is very high, and many families cannot feed their children. The cost of travelling across the country has become almost unbearable. At the airports, you don’t see passengers anymore, and road transport fares have also skyrocketed. For example, travelling from here to Onitsha costs around 10,000 Naira, and from here to Lagos is about 30,000 Naira. People simply cannot afford it.
Now that schools have resumed in September, many families are finding it difficult to pay school fees for their children. Life is extremely difficult and very tough. Many families cannot afford three square meals a day. It is quite traumatising for families across the country. If we want to deceive ourselves, we can say things are improving, but they are not. Things are really tough. We don’t know whether the measures being taken will bear fruits, but we live to see whether the sacrifices we are making are in good faith or bad faith. Honestly, things are very tough for everybody. Across the board, you can hardly find anyone who will tell you that things are improving. Things are getting worse unless we choose to lie to ourselves. There is no improvement. So, we are very concerned and we need leaders who can genuinely bring positive change to this country. We need leadership that will focus on the people’s welfare, uplift the standard of living and restore hope for future generations.
Are you satisfied with the efforts the government is putting in place to address the hardship in the country and mitigate the situation?
There are a lot of positive efforts being made by the federal government—no doubt about it. They are trying to mitigate, in their own way, the challenges that people are facing. Many measures have been taken by the federal government, but we cannot run an economy on palliatives alone. We need concrete measures to address these problems both in the short and long term. Providing rice as a palliative can solve some problems temporarily, but life goes beyond palliatives. We need long-term solutions.
We cannot say for sure whether or not these measures will bear fruits now, but we have been told—and let us believe—that the president means well for this country. Whether or not it will translate into something good, we live to see. But so far, the masses are groaning and suffering. People cannot afford to feed any longer, and insecurity is still a major concern. very high across the country.
In the last general election, there were a lot of complaints. What is your take on the electoral process, especially the recent off-season elections?
Yes, people had hoped that with the off-season elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be able to correct its previous errors and put things in proper perspective. But with the recent Edo election, it seems the INEC has not changed, or rather, things have not improved overall. The reports we have received so far from observers indicate that the election did not meet the standards required for a credible election. I wasn’t in Edo, and I did not participate as an observer, but the reports coming from various observer groups, such as the PDP, the Labour Party, and others, show that the election did not meet expectations. That is why there is a call for comprehensive electoral reform. We need to reach a point where we completely discard the use of paper ballots and switch to electronic voting. Take India, for example. India has over 900 million registered voters, and elections there are conducted electronically. India has more than 2.8 million polling units, and their elections take about three months. There are places in India that cannot be accessed by road, and they use donkeys and camels to reach those areas, yet they manage to conduct free and fair elections because it is electronically controlled. In India, you go to a polling unit and use something like a laptop on a desk to cast your vote. You use your thumbprint to register, press a button, and the list of parties appears on the screen. You press another button to select your choice, and the results are automatically registered in a portal. By the end of the day, they know who has won or lost.
Nigeria needs to reach that level. Since independence in 1960, Nigeria has struggled with conducting free and fair elections. This lack of transparency has caused immense suffering. Until we are able to have credible elections, Nigeria will not move forward. Those in power will not respect the masses, and policies will not reflect the needs of the people. Those in power believe they can use their connections, money, and influence to force their way into office, and this cannot be accepted if we want true progress. The election in Edo serves as a referendum on INEC and its willingness to improve the electoral process, particularly in light of what will take place in Ondo State. We need to assess the situation carefully, as there have been widespread violations that need to be addressed by local governments, state governments, and national commissions.
If you look at the elections conducted in Bauchi, Imo, and other states, it is clear that the party in power often dominates the process, including chairmanship and councillor positions. This is detrimental to our democracy, because the people in the villages should be the ones determining who their councillors are. When governors interfere, it undermines the local decision-making process. Instead of allowing the community to decide, everything is dictated from the centre, which is a significant disappointment for Nigerians.
The consequences of this interference are evident in voter turnout. For example, in the recent Edo election, only about 23 per cent of registered voters participated in a local government area with approximately 200,000 registered voters. Only around 30,000 people turned up to vote. This indicates that many are discouraged from participating in the electoral process. Our democracy is at a very dangerous stage; there may come a time when people will no longer feel motivated to vote because they believe that, even if they do, it won’t make a difference. If we don’t address these issues, we risk further alienating the electorate and undermining the very foundation of our democratic system.
Recently, there were protests against bad governance, during which many people were arrested and charged with various offences, including treason. Do you see this as a tactic by the current administration to suppress future protests?
Yes, I see this as a tactic by the current administration to prevent and suppress any future protest. Nigerians have every right to protest against bad governance, insecurity, brutality, torture, and all manner of issues, as guaranteed by the constitution. However, the government should stop or prohibit violent protests that could lead to loss of life and destruction. It is important to note that the recent protests included a lot of complaints, and in certain places, there was looting and destruction of property, which cannot be ignored. We believe that the government should allow those who were arrested to exercise their fundamental right to legal representation and should prove its case against them. The government needs to clearly distinguish between peaceful protests and violent ones.
In some northern regions, there was indeed destruction and looting. We saw many videos documenting these incidents. Such actions that result in the destruction of property are wrong. Unless the arrests and prosecutions are handled properly, those arrested should be given a fair trial. They should have the right to their lawyers to defend themselves. If the government alleges that these individuals committed treason or any serious offence, it must provide evidence in a court of law.
As time goes on, we expect the government to substantiate its claims. If it cannot, those individuals should be discharged and acquitted. The next few days and months will determine the direction of these cases, but it is very difficult for the government to prove its allegations. We must wait and see; we cannot pre-empt what the court will decide.
How do you see the current push for a return to regional system of government and the state of our constitution?
Certainly, the constitution we are operating today has failed us mainly because the centre is too strong. Everyone wants to go to the centre because that’s where the resources are. Many states are not viable, and every Nigerian looks to the centre because that’s where the oil money is being distributed. Those who advocate a constitutional review make a valid point, as do those calling for regional government and restructuring. The same applies to those asking for state police. The challenge is whether or not the current government will allow such changes to happen. We already have a constitution that outlines how power should be distributed, and since 1999, there have been constant [amendments]. Unfortunately, these [amendments] haven’t addressed the fundamental issues affecting us as a nation, particularly how power should be devolved to the local and state levels. Billions of naira are spent every year gathering memoranda and submissions, yet the core issues remain untouched. I believe the Nigerian Constitution should be reviewed, and power should be shared more effectively between the centre and local governments. However, the question is whether the current government and governors will accept this. Look at the effort to grant more autonomy to local governments; the federal government had to go to the Supreme Court, which eventually ruled in favour of local autonomy. But if this had gone through the constitutional review process, it would have been blocked by the state governments.
The challenge is for Nigerians to sit down and figure out a system that works for everyone. Some state governments that were previously opposed to state police are now in support because they have been directly affected by security challenges. I’m hopeful this support will continue to grow, but as it stands, the current constitution isn’t working, and Nigeria is at risk of further deterioration.
We must come together and address these issues. One way to do this is by revisiting the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference, which offered critical solutions to our problems. I don’t think holding another conference will solve anything, but revisiting and improving on the 2014 document could make a difference. The current government, however, seems opposed to such changes because those benefiting from the system are unlikely to allow reforms. But they must realise that if the country continues down this path, a time will come when it will no longer be governable.
At present, there are many ungoverned spaces in the North, South, and East. Farmers can’t access their lands, and people can’t travel safely due to kidnapping and the terrible state of our roads. Governance has collapsed in many states, particularly in rural areas, and only a few states can claim that governance is actually taking place. Things are not moving in the right direction. We must stop pretending everything is fine. Nigeria is like a patient in the emergency ward. If we continue to deny the gravity of the situation and apply the wrong solutions, things will only get worse. It’s like a leg that’s rotting, but instead of addressing the issue with surgery, we apply temporary fixes like Panadol or air fresheners to cover the smell. Without concrete, long-term solutions, everything will continue to deteriorate. When the worst happens, the elite will leave, and it is the ordinary Nigerians who will bear the brunt of the collapse.
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