Guardian

FOR Barrister Liborous Oshomah, a Lagos-based legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, scheming for the 2015 general elections is responsible for the on-going Nigerian Governor Forum (NGF) crisis.  He said Nigerians who are promoting ethnic politics should rather be interested about the capacity of the individuals Nigerians are going to vote into power in 2015.

“All the cry in the Nigeria Governor’s Forum is all about 2015. Some South-South states and a few other individuals feel that ‘this is our turn to rule the country’ and   would not accept a situation where Amaechi is used to scuttle their chances to power, irrespective of whether the presidency has brought development to the region.

“Aside from enriching few pockets, Jonathan’s presidency has not brought development to the region. The people of the region should be careful because it-is-our-turn politics is meant to manipulate the people for the advantage of the elites. Tony Anenih was Minister of Works under ex-President Obasanjo, Chris Ogiemwonyi was former State Minister for Works just as Mike Onolememe (all from Edo State) is now Minister for Works. How have their positions improved the roads in Edo State for instance?”

Oshomah regretted that the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan, instead of focusing on delivering democratic dividends to the people, is focusing on campaigns for an election that is still two years ahead. He posited that no meaningful development would take place in the next two years with the way the administration is going.

“Mark you, for the next two years, no meaningful development will take place. The first two years is usually for bojuboju development. And the next two years is usually for politicking and campaigning. The man who did not promise anything, has provided next to nothing, only to celebrate himself,” he said.

Oshomah, who said the 2015 election should be on the basis of performance, urged Nigerians to seize power at the grassroots to determine what happens in the polity.  He further said hope does not exist in All Progressives Congress (APC) in rescuing power from the PDP, to offer democratic dividends to the people.

“2015 elections should be based on performance rather than automatic ticket for anybody. Government is talking about transparent election in 2015 when the process of attaining that election is in a sham; there is no internal democracy. All these are not healthy for our democracy. How old is President Barack Obama of the United States of America and David Cameron of the United Kingdom?

“In Nigeria, we have Chairman of (PDP) Board of Trustees (BOT) who is almost 80 years and a president with godfather and leaders. It is not healthy for our democracy. Democracy all over the world is practised on the basis of performance and participation of the people. When government discusses issues, there is no mention of the people. What it means is that the people do not matter in the polity. As far as election is concerned, we the people don’t count. That is why they talk about automatic ticket and we must win the election irrespective of performance. We should measure 2015 with performance indices. This is the only country where politicians campaign without manifestoes and politicians bond together not because of any ideology, but on the basis of self-interest.

“Furthermore, Nigerians should throw away their lackadaisical attitude towards governance. Until we take back the power that belongs to us to determine our fate, we would continue to go round in a circle and complain, and politicians would continue to recycle the same retire hands. And we will never get there.

“We should note that it is not about the political parties but the people we are voting into power. We have hardly seen internal democracy playing out in the parties that constitute APC. They are the same.  How well have the states under ACN fared under the dispensation, aside Lagos State? If you take the record of states under the PDP, you would see some states that have performed to some extent: Enugu, Akwa-Ibom  and Cross River states.

“What is the ideology binding the APC together aside the fact that its members want to be in power?  Ideologically, I do not see APC binding together and if it comes into power, the problem PDP is having now –PDP is its own enemy – are still going to face APC. South-West and ACN is controlled by Bola Ahmed Tinubu today. If ACN extends its tentacles to the North for instance, are you sure that one man would be able to control it the way it is now? I do not see them able to wrestle power from the PDP from the way they are going.

“To ensure that votes counts, we need to organise at the local level and ask questions about the performance of our elected leaders. That is only when our leaders would begin to work,” he said.