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Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas “to immediately withdraw the oppressive bill which contains repressive provisions to jail any Nigerian of voting age for six months and/or impose a fine of N100,000 on them if they fail to vote in national and state elections.”

SERAP urged Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to instead “amend the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the Electoral Act 2022 to remove constitutional immunity for state governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences, including vote-buying, to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators.”

SERAP also urged Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas “to amend the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to explicitly prohibit the appointment of members of any political party as resident electoral commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”

 
 

There is currently in the National Assembly a ‘Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 to Make It Mandatory for All Nigerians of Majority Age to Vote in All National and State Elections and for Related Matters.’ The bill seeks to make voting compulsory and prescribes a six-month jail term or a fine of N100,000 or both for non-compliance.

In the letter dated 29 March 2025 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Jailing eligible Nigerians for deciding not to vote would be entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations.”

SERAP said, “Rather than proposing bills that would severely punish Nigerians who may decide not to exercise their right to vote, the National Assembly ought to propose bills to remove constitutional immunity for governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences and undermine the integrity of the electoral process.”

According to SERAP, “The most effective way to solve the perennial voter apathy is to create a safe and conducive environment, combat the impunity of high-ranking politicians who commit electoral offences, and generally improve the electoral process to encourage the citizens to come out to vote, and not to send them to jail.”

The letter, read in part: “Should the National Assembly fails to drop the bill prescribing a six-month jail term for eligible Nigerians who decide not to vote in national and state elections, and should any such bill be assented to by President Bola Tinubu, SERAP would consider appropriate legal action to challenge the legality of any such law and ensure they are never implemented.”

“The idea of compulsory voting and jailing citizens for not voting is impracticable, unnecessary and unlawful. The right to vote is part of citizens’ right to participate in their own government and the choice of whether to exercise it is personal.”

“The right to vote includes the right not to vote. If the right to participation is a right of the citizen, she/he must be free to decide whether or not to exercise it.”

“Because the notion of a democracy exists by virtue of the consent of the citizens, voters must get to choose how they exercise consent, not be forced to the polls like ‘cattle to the slaughter.’”

“The National Assembly ought to propose bills to reduce the influence of money in politics, and encourage and not compel the exercise of the right to participation.”

“The proposed bill is a blatant violation of the right to political participation, which is guaranteed under section 14(1)(c) of the Nigerian Constitution, article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.”

“SERAP also urges you to amend the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to include explicit mandatory provisions on internet voter registration, and the use of modern technology, including in casting and counting, voter registration and systems for reporting results.”

“Amending the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to explicitly include the right of eligible Nigerians to vote and to vote securely would enhance the effective enjoyment of their right political participation and representative democracy.”

“It would rebuild public confidence in the ability of the National Assembly to effectively perform its constitutional responsibilities.”

“Any amendment of the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act must include bills to address and punish governors and their deputies and their agents who commit electoral offences including voter suppression, voter intimidation and the destruction of polling units or theft of election materials.”

“It is important for the National Assembly to introduce and pass bills that would effectively rein politicians who continue to abuse the electoral rules to distort and undermine the right to participation with almost absolute impunity.”

“Removing constitutional immunity for governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences would address the brazen impunity for electoral and human rights crimes which frequently characterise the country’s elections.”

“The major problem facing the country’s democracy is the lack of respect for Nigerians’ right to participation and the concomitant lack of trust in election results. If citizens do not believe in the election process, then the entire system of democratic government becomes a questionable enterprise.”

“The crisis confronting Nigerian elections and lack of public trust and confidence in the electoral process can be addressed if the right of Nigerians to vote and to vote securely is explicitly recognized in the constitution as justiciable right.”

“Nigerians do not currently enjoy explicit right to vote and to vote securely. Although the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] provides in Section 14(1)(c) that, “the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”, this is not recognized as legally enforceable human right.”

“Nigerian election laws ought to be such that would give effect to the electorate’s will and uphold the popular mandate through clean, fair, and honest elections. The right to vote in a democracy is important because so many other matters depend upon its exercise.”

[Vanguard]

 

Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, has suspended Friday Ibadin, commander of the Edo State Security Corps, over the killing of 16 hunters in the Uromi area of the state.

In a statement released by the secretary to the state government on Saturday, Okpebholo also ordered the suspension of illegal vigilante groups operating in the state.

On Thursday, a mob in the Uromi area of Edo killed 16 hunters of northern descent who were travelling from Elele, Rivers state.

 

The police had said the hunters were killed after a local vigilante group, who mistook them for kidnappers, found 19 locally fabricated firearms in their possession.

 

President Bola Tinubu had ordered the police and security agencies to swiftly investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.

In the statement, the Edo governor said the vigilante group that carried out the act was not registered or profiled under the state security corps.

“It is to be reiterated that the local vigilante group involved in the gruesome killing of 27th March was operating illegally as it was never profiled or registered with Edo State Security Corps,” the statement reads.

 

“Its actions do not reflect the core values, character and principles of the Okpebholo administration, or the objectives of the corps as enshrined in the Edo State Security Corps Governance Law.

“Investigations into the killings are on-going and fourteen (14) persons have been arrested so far, while there is an intense manhunt for others involved in the gruesome killing by a special team set up by the Inspector General of Police.

“The Government of Edo State reiterates its belief in the constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens to move freely or engage in lawful business in any part of the country.

“In the meantime, the Government is in touch with families of the victims, community leaders and the Government of Kano State where most of the deceased are reported to hail from.

 

“We urge all parties involved to remain calm as the State Government remains committed to ensuring that justice is done in a most efficient, transparent and proactive manner.”

[TheCable]

Numan, the town that lends its name to one of the 21 local government areas in Adamawa state in north-east Nigeria, is home to the Bwatiye (Bachama), a transnational identity group stretching into parts of Cameroon. Located in the basin of Benue River and one of its tributaries, River Taraba, Numan’s fecund lands play host to vast energies in sedentary agriculture. Fulbe pastoralists have for long also found it welcoming for grazing their herds.

These factors have made Numan a major frontier in the murderous livelihood conflict that has pitted sedentary farmers and armed pastoralists in the Middle Belt of Nigeria. Described as a crisis “over scarce land and water resources” this conflict is estimated to have “claimed the lives of around 10,000 Nigerians” in the period since about 2013. It is widely recognised as the second most deadly conflict in Nigeria after the Boko Haram crisis.

For nearly three years until 2018, Numan was the site of a murderous war between sedentary farmers and armed pastoralists. No one knows the number who lost their lives in this conflict. James Courtright, who researched the situation wrote in 2023 that “by the time the crisis ended in January 2018, around 150 people were dead, a dozen villages burned to the ground and hundreds of Fulbe who had called Numan home had fled.” Tens of thousands were reportedly displaced. This crisis even became the subject of litigation before the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Court of Justice).

On 5 December 2017, Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo SAN, visited Adamawa state to see things for himself. Subsequently, the federal government arranged to distribute emergency relief materials to affected communities including Dong, Lawaru, and Kukumso in Demsa LGA; as well as “Shafaron, Kodomti, Tullum, Mzoruwe and Mararraban Bare in Numan Local Government Area.” Amidst these developments, the federal government launched what ultimately proved to be an inconclusive “series of national consultations with all relevant groups designed to find a lasting solution to the farmers-herders conflict in parts of the country.”

 

The events in Kodomti village during this crisis were to become the subject of prosecutorial interest which worked its way up to the Supreme Court, coming to a decision on 7 March 2025. On 27 January 2015, an incident occurred on a farm in Kodomti belonging to Sunday Jackson. By the time the dust had settled, Alhaji Ardo Bawuro lay dead, victim of three stab wounds in the neck at the hands of Sunday Jackson.

The Adamawa State Director of Public Prosecutions arraigned Sunday Jackson on one count of culpable homicide punishable with death (murder) for the killing of Ardo Bawuro. On 10 February 2021, the High Court of Adamawa State convicted and sentenced Sunday Jackson to death. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal on 20 July 2022. From there he appealed to the Supreme Court.

The evidence relied on by the courts was straightforward. There was a coroner’s report but the judgment does not mention a pathologist’s report. According to Sunday Jackson’s statement to the police: “On Tuesday, 27/01/15 at about 11:10 hrs, I left my village and was cutting thatching grasses (sic) in a bush located in Kodomti village in Numan LGA when the deceased, Alh Buba Bawuro as identified attacked me after loosing (sic) sight of some persons alleged to be pursuing (sic) for killing his cattle. He attacked me in frustration and wanted to stab me with a dagger then we engaged in a wrestling encounter. I succeeded in seizing the dagger from him which I used to stab him thrice in his throat. When the deceased collapsed and was rolling down in a pool of his blood, I took heels and escaped.”

 

In its judgment on 7 March 2025 delivered by Justice Baba Idris, the Supreme Court determined that this statement was a confession and simultaneously also raised issues of self-defence which had to be considered.
In Nigeria, self-defence is a constitutionally guaranteed right. In criminal law, it is also total exoneration to a charge of murder.

According to the court, four conditions must be present for self-defence to succeed. First, the accused must be free from fault in bringing about the encounter leading to death. Second, there must be present an impending peril to life or of grievous bodily harm. Third, there must be no safe or reasonable mode of escape. Fourth, there must be a necessity for taking of life.

The Supreme Court found that the first and second conditions were fulfilled in the case of Sunday Jackson. As to the last two conditions, the court said that “there was a reasonable mode of escape by retreat and there was no necessity to take the life of the deceased.” It did so notwithstanding that there was nothing in evidence about how safe it was to retreat. Consequently, the court held that “the defence of self-defence is not available on a closer consideration of the evidence, and in the light of the circumstances of this particular case.” The court also dismissed any possibility of a defence of provocation, which would have reduced the crime to manslaughter.

In his concurring judgment, Justice Haruna Tsammani said: “on the facts as narrated…., I am of the view that [Sunday Jackson] inflicted more harm than was necessary for the purpose of defending himself. Having overpowered the deceased and collected the dagger from him, a stab would not be considered excessive. It is also my view that [Sunday Jackson] acted in a vengeful manner by stabbing the deceased trice (sic) in the neck; a person he had overpowered.”

 

This statement by Justice Tsammani is at the heart of the three flaws with this judgment. One is a matter of law and evidence: The Supreme Court believed it was alright for Sunday Jackson to have stabbed Ardo Bawuro once, but not thrice. But there was no evidence before the court as to which of the three stab wounds killed Ardo Bawuro.

It is possible that it was the first stab wound; or the second; or the third. That determination is a matter of evidence and, in criminal law, establishing what killed the Ardo Bawuro was the responsibility of the prosecution. If he was killed by the first stab, then the claim by the court that three stab wounds were too many is demonstrably gratuitous, and self-defence would have availed. In the absence of that kind of evidence, the court had no basis for excluding self-defence.

Second, the court imposed an unreasonable standard of assessment, requiring a person whom it found to be in real peril of loss of his life from an assailant with murder or grievous bodily harm on his mind to make assessments that are beyond the capability of any human in the throes of a fight-or-flight struggle.

Third, in suggesting that Sunday Jackson had a reasonable means of escape, the Supreme Court showed an almost blissful lack of awareness of the nature of the conflict on the floodplains of the Benue River (and its tributaries). This case arose in a conflict zone between livelihood and identity groups. The standard of evidentiary assessment deployed by the Supreme Court required Sunday Jackson to possess almost divine knowledge of the surrounding circumstances. Asking him to run in the middle of this required him to be certain that there was no other danger around him. There was no way that he or anyone could in the middle of an active conflict zone have attained that degree of knowledge or awareness.

 

The miracle in this case is how the court reached a unanimous judgment.

The Supreme Court, we are reminded, is the last bus stop on legal disputes. Yet, in nearly every case presented for judicial resolution, we find ourselves not merely before the court of law but also before courts of public opinion, of precedent, and of posterity. The judgment in Sunday Jackson’s case is bad law, bad precedent, and bad policy. It is perverse on the scale of a miscarriage of justice. Sunday Jackson is eminently deserving of the exercise of the prerogative of mercy by the Governor of Adamawa State.

 

A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu

 

The Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, has expressed heart-warming congratulations and profound appreciation to all mothers in Anambra State and across Nigeria on the occasion of today's Sunday Mothering Day, lauding their unrelenting dedication, selfless love, and irreplaceable contributions to our families and society.

In his goodwill remarks, Governor Soludo described motherhood as the purest form of love and sacrifice, extolling the strength, resilience, and compassion demonstrated by mothers daily from the foundation upon which our communities thrive. It is thus most deserving to honour the extraordinary women who nurture dreams, instil values, and shape the future through their children.

The Governor also acknowledges the exceptional role of the First Lady of Anambra State, Dr. Nonye Soludo, whose humanitarian initiatives continue to transform lives across the state. Through her dedicated work with children and her inspiring Healthy Living Project, Dr. Nonye Soludo exemplifies the nurturing spirit of motherhood extended beyond family boundaries to embrace all Anambra citizens, aligning perfectly with the Soludo administration's vision of creating a livable and prosperous homeland where every citizen can thrive.

Therefore, Governor Soludo wishes all mothers a joyous celebration of this Mothering Day and reaffirms his commitment to supporting policies and programmes that continuously strengthen families and empower women in their vital roles as partners in state development.

 

Signed: 

Christian Aburime

Press Secretary to the Governor

Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, has lamented the unfortunate fire incident that occurred on Friday, March 28, 2025, at Ifejika Street, Sokoto Road, Onitsha, during which shops and goods worth millions of naira were burnt. 

Governor Soludo extends his sincere sympathies to the affected traders and property owners impacted by this distressing event.  

The unfortunate fire incident destroyed two four-story buildings and damaged a third. Thankfully, no lives were lost, though significant property and goods were lost. 

However, the unfortunate incident underscores a re-emphasis on public caution against the use of residential areas as unauthorised warehouses, considering the fact that obstructed access roads severely hindered firefighting efforts from the information gathered.

Therefore, developers and landlords are strongly advised to adhere strictly to building standards, secure permits from relevant government agencies, and ensure no obstruction to access roads for emergency vehicles in case of distress 

Meanwhile, Governor Soludo has directed relevant agencies to intensify collaboration with traders and residents to enforce safety regulations, while accelerated investigations are being carried out to determine the remote and immediate causes of the inferno to prevent future occurrences 

 

Signed:  

Christian Aburime

Press Secretary to the Governor 

Speaking to journalists at Abuja on Sunday on the ongoing constitutional electoral reforms, Mr Osita Okechukwu stated that without truly Independent National and State Electoral Commissions, (INEC & SIEC), which he termed Uwais Report’s Handgun on electoral reforms, no genuine electoral reforms. 

“Whilst one commends the efforts of Messers Jibrin Barau, Benjamin Kalu, Salsiu Mustapha, Ikenga Ugochinyere and host of other Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members in their electoral reform bid; however there will be no genuine electoral reform without the Uwais Electoral Report’s Handgun - which is truly independent INEC & SIEC.” 

Okechukwu appealed that 17 years after Uwais Report, it is high time Mr President, State Governors and National and State Assemblies members, should muster the political will to use the handgun of the report to deepen our democracy and catapult Nigeria to giant status.

He retorted that this will be achieved by amending the constitutional nomination process of INEC and SIEC as recommended by Uwais Report interalia:-

i) Advertise all positions, spelling out requisite Qualifications 

ii)Receive Applications/Nominations from the General Public 

iii) Shortlist 3 Persons for each position and 

iv) Send to the National Council of State to select one from the Shortlist and forward to the Senate for Confirmation.

Okechukwu said that this crucial amendment will make INEC and SIEC truly independent and will ensure the highest quality and the highest standard of our general elections.

He opined that impartial INEC and SIEC will automatically wipe out negative electoral mindset from Nigerians, reduce apathy, minimise electoral violence and consign Professor Humphrey Nwosu’s June 12, 1999 to 2nd place.

Finally, he submitted that legacy of truly independent INEC and SIEC, will consolidate political culture of free, fair and transparent elections, entrench rule of law and progressive society; whereby President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s critics will be silenced and programs like financial autonomy of local government councils and regional development intervention commissions will flourish.

In Nigeria, you can be sentenced to death for defending yourself against an assailant. Forget all that you’ve read. If your life is threatened by an armed herdsman, run for cover. Or simply allow the vagabond to slice your throat. You’re better dead and classified as a victim than to retaliate and be condemned to death for fighting for your life.

Nigeria’s Supreme Court recently affirmed the judgement of the lower courts in respect of a case of culpable homicide against Citizen Sunday Jackson who must now be sent to the hangman for defending himself when he was attacked with a knife by a herdsman feeding his cattle on Jackson’s farm.

 
 

Jackson was only 20 years old and an expectant father when the incident happened. He maintained a farm to support his family. On the fateful day, he was tending his farm when he was suddenly attacked by a knife-wielding herdsman, Buba Bawuro, in Kodomti Village, Numan local government area of Adamawa State.

Self-defence

In the ensuing struggle, he managed to overpower his assailant and returned the compliment. His assailant eventually died of his wounds.

He was subsequently arrested and charged to court for murder, spending seven years in pretrial detention (the Nigerian prison system has an incredibly high number of ‘Awaiting-Trial’ inmates).

When his case finally went to trial, he was sentenced to death, with the court ruling that he should have fled after disarming his attacker.

The court did not reckon with the fact that the herdsman had seriously stabbed him in the leg and so he could not have made a quick getaway even if he wanted to. In a unanimous judgment (SC/CR/1026/2022), delivered by Hon. Justice Mohammed Baba Idris, the court ruled against Jackson’s defence of provocation.

The death verdict surprised many observers because it seemed to contradict the universal contention that every human being was entitled to self-defence if his life was under threat. Also, the fact that the courts seemed to believe that the quantum of violence could be calibrated in a life-or-death situation in such a manner as to apply only the appropriate dose that would make the assailant flee instead of dying.

The kernel of the Supreme Court’s verdict can be found in its statement that, “An accused person cannot legally be entitled to the defence of provocation and self-defence at the same time and in relation to the same offence.”

After the Supreme Court, there is no appeal, except to God. But that will be post-mortem. Only two earthly interventions can save Jackson’s life now: If the Governor of Adamawa  State, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, exercises his prerogative of mercy and grants him a pardon, especially considering the fact that he had already spent 10 years in the correctional facility; or if he is granted clemency by the President in exercise of the same prerogative of mercy.

Appeal

In a passionate appeal to the governor, Jackson wrote: “I am a student and a farmer, who was going about my honest and lawful activity, when I was violently attacked and sustained severe injuries. Despite this, I was able to overpower my attacker and defend myself whereupon my attacker died. However, in a gross miscarriage of justice, I was sentenced to death in 2021 after already being in prison for several years.”

Jackson recalled that he was unarmed when his assailant attacked him with a knife. He tried to run for his life, calling for help but he was stabbed at the back of his head. According to him, “My assailant stabbed me again on my leg, and one more move from him was going to end my life. I was too weak to run, so in defence of myself, I disarmed him while already in a pool of my own blood, and killed him to save my life.

“I have been devastated emotionally and mentally, as I have had to deal with the pain of this grave injustice against me. I have never set eyes on my 10-year-old daughter all these years, as she was born after my arrest,” he said.

He, therefore, appealed as follows: “In light of these circumstances, I urge Your Excellency to exercise your prerogative of mercy and grant me a pardon, particularly as I have also spent 10 years in the correctional facility, through the determination of this case. This would be a just and compassionate decision, considering the clear miscarriage of justice that has occurred in this case.”

Jackson has also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in his case.

Legal experts have drawn attention to Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantees the fundamental right to life of every Nigerian citizen. Section 33(2) (a) provides that: “A person shall not be regarded as having been deprived of his life in contravention of this section, if he dies as a result of the use, to such extent and in such circumstances as are permitted by the law, of such force as is reasonably necessary-(a) for the defence of any person from unlawful violence or for the defence of property… “

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and Abuja has strongly condemned the Supreme Court’s death verdict on Jackson. In a statement issued in Kaduna on Tuesday, the chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. John Hayab, described the judgment as a “grave travesty of justice” and called on the Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, to grant Jackson a pardon.

Conflict Resolution

An international human rights lawyer, Emmanuel Ogebe, and Pastor William Devlin who serves as the national president of REDEEM! — an organisation committed to assisting persecuted people and groups in America and around the globe, took their advocacy for Jackson’s life to the traditional ruler, Hama Bachama. The royal father facilitated a heart-to-heart discussion between the Jackson and Bawuro families, resulting in the victim’s father, Ardo Bawuro, writing to the governor to say that his family has forgiven Jackson for killing their son, and pleading that the governor grant clemency to the convict.

In a letter titled: “Death Sentence On Sunday Jackson By The Supreme Court Of Nigeria For Murder Of My Son Buba Bawuro”, Ardo pleaded that Jackson’s life be spared. He argued that there was no point taking another life. He declared, on behalf of his entire family, that they were not interested in executing the verdict of the Supreme Court.

His conclusion sounds quite edifying: “In this regard, your excellency should count us out of the judgement passed on the victim (Sunday Jackson). My son can never wake up again. Based on this fact, I am pleading for clemency on Sunday Jackson to be pardoned and set free.”

How is a layman supposed to interpret all this? The grandiose legal system from the High Court to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court failed Citizen Jackson. Now, it seems that the good old traditional conflict resolution mechanism (featuring the traditional ruler and the two feuding families) has come to the rescue.

The less time spent on further arguments the better.

I add my voice to Ardo Bawuro’s appeal to Governor Umaru Fintiri: Please exercise your prerogative of mercy and let Sunday Jackson go home.

In recent weeks, we seem to have been wrestling with the very idea of democracy. After all, our political system has passed through the Westminster parliamentary system and over three decades of the Washington type presidential system.  There is a prolonged assumption that we are indeed a thriving democracy and ought by now to have come to take certain issues for granted. But on a daily basis, our politicians and political elite seem more confused about the essence and meaning of democracy itself. This is clearly an illustration of the vagrant and unserious nature of our political elite.

Surprisingly, however, our political elite has this curious habit of returning to interrogate our democratic credentials ever so frequently. Last week, a major gathering of consequential political voices gathered in Abuja to nark the 60th birthday of former House Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha. It was yet another opportunity to interrogate the efficacy of our democracy and indeed the  very appropriateness of our democratic route.

Former President Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo, chairman of the occasion  was his predictable cynical self, skeptical as ever.  about the appropriateness of Western democracy for Africa. His contention was essentially a cultural conservative reservation about the alien roots of democracy as practised in most African countries. Bishop Kukah in the role of keynote speaker asked the question as to whether democracy has failed in Africa. Former Sokoto Governor  Aminu  Tambuwal was definitive in disagreeing. For him, democracy has not quite failed in the country or indeed the continent. Peter Obi was non equivocal in asserting that democracy has failed totally in Africa. Segun Adeniyi was typically journalistic in saying that democracy has neither succeeded nor failed in Africa. He instead  zeroed in on the individual foibles of the political leadership as unserious mascots of democracy in Africa. Other voices found weaknesses in the practitioners of our democracy, insisting that nothing is wrong with the various concepts of democracy as practiced in Nigeria or indeed Africa.

Pitfalls like corruption, disruptive governance, abuses of due process by politicians have combined to give democracy a bad name.  In all of these attempts to understand the failings of democracy in our country, politicians and the elite have tended to uproot the concept of democracy from is European roots. The fact of mouthing democratic concepts and systems is unfortunately not likely to make us a democracy. Our society has bot paid its dues. We have not passed through the economic crucible of evolving a productive economy first before exploring the most apt system of government. In Europe, the

Industrial Revolution and the tyranny of kings and oligarchs preceded the rise of democracy. Similarly, economic independence and the emergence of a political consensus among the urban elite created the necessity for popular democracy as an alternative to monarchical absolutism.

It was this combination of forces that compelled Europe to behead and dethrone kings and queens and overthrow or reform the monarchy in favour of elective popular  governance. Representatives of the people took over power through a system of representative democracy to ensure that the taxes paid by the productive populace were spent by representative governments to fund social programmes and services. The modern nation state was born on the foundations of elective democracy based on the popular mandate of economically empowered citizens. With democracy, subjects became citizens. Citizens acquired rights and rulers were compelled to accountability to ‘the people’.

Elsewhere especially in Asia where democracy later took roots, it was the rise of authoritarian military regimes  which suppressed workers rights,  whittled down civil rights, forced people to fight for the rights they wanted to enjoy and assiduously grew the economies to create the wealth and prosperity that empowered people to demand certain rights and privileges of freedom and representative government. Like in Europe, it was the empowerment of the people  that forced them to demand certain rights especially the right of citizenship and political representation.

In each of these instances, democracy was not a ‘given’ handout or arrangement. It was not an organized syndicate or arrangement agreed upon by a departing colonial order and its successor local political elite of trade unionists, traditional rulers and western educated elite as in most African countries. Democracy in either the European West or Asian dictatorships did not emerge in and of itself but as a consequence of compulsive economic and social forces.

In the Nigerian instance, our ‘democracy’ has transformed  from an arrangement of colonial selection to one cultivated by self- appointed military dictatorships. Representatives of the people have been selected whether by a colonial order or by an imposed military dictatorship. The popular masses were literally ‘invited’ or coopted into the democratic wagon and  taught the rituals of periodic electioneering. Consequently, our democracy has hardly had organic roots in and among the people. At best, the people have been ‘invited’ during election cycles to the seasonal political agenda, told major issues in contention and the major personae contending for power. In the post election periods, the politicians disappeared to the centres of power from where they lord it over the masses until the next election season. In most of Africa and in Nigeria especially, there has not been a process of consciousness creation about the rudiments of democratic culture. At best, democracy has been merely a dialect of political speak.

Democracy is not however a voluntary self-generating force. It is an outcome, a momentum unleashed and driven by social and economic  forces of a historical nature such as happened in Europe and Asia. The driving forces include an urgent compulsion by productive working people who demand accountability for their hard earned tax money. It is the vortex of pressure by the masses which wanted their views and perspectives heard and reflected in the way the society was governed and manifested itself. Taxation is guaranteed by representation. That is the basis of accountability in governance which confers power on the people.

Therefore, when modern constitutions and other social contract documents begin with the expression “We the People”, it is a  conscious expression of the real power of the people as tax payers, citizens and voters. It is the people’s power of tax money, the power of labour power and the exertions of workers as an orgnized force that propels the economy. It is in addition the momentum of the cultural solidarity and the willful surrender of the power of independent self- defense in preference for collective security embodied in an elected sovereign. We the people hereby surrender unto you the right and power to preside over us and protect us from one another and from hostile others!

That is the foundation of the Social Contract,  the intangible contract that binds the broad majority to the sovereign elected authority who wields state power on the collective behalf of the “people”. Thus is born the modern nation state as the foundation of world order.

Democracy does not give birth to itself nor does it protect and sustain itself. It has certain guardrails in the nature of institutions which it needs to operate and survive. The elected sovereign is a guided executive authority. That authority is guided and guarded along the path of law and order by a judiciary of trained honest judges and a battery of lawyers. An executive not guarded or guided by a judiciary is bound to degenerate into an unregulated anarchy, the lawless Hobbesian state of nature in which the laws of nature reign and bloody violence rules the affairs of men.

In turn, elected conclaves representing the people as a constituent whole are empanelled as parliaments and assemblies to ensure that the affairs of the state reflect the interests of the majority and diversity of the public.

The collective feedback voice of the people is wielded through the power of the media- the agencies of the mass media which function as the unofficial monitor and regulator of the conduct of state and its officials. It does not matter whether the media is the legacy print and electronic media that we have since come to know or the contemporary social media platforms in which everyman is a media owner and practitioner. The functions of the media in a democracy remain basically the same- moderation and modulation of public opinion in the service of the enlightened governance of the state.

The rest of the society whose interests and opinions matter in the progression of the society is what has come to be known as civil society, that amorphous collective of chattering voices in the market of society that is usually the first to gather at the venue of protests against bad governance. It can be organized into pressure groups and interest groups or show up facelessly as a mob.

The guardian elite of a democracy consists of both the practicing political elite and the broad spectrum of enlightened voices-professionals and interested others with an abiding interest in the survival of the society either as a functioning state or thriving democracy. An elite cannot possibly be illiterate or ignorant. An illiterate or ignorant national elite is a danger to itself and to the perpetuation of the society it pretends to serve and represent. A national elite must share a common commitment to the wellbeing and continuity of the society.  When a bunch of vagrants, casual thugs and unemployed political jobbers control the commanding heights of the political space, the result is a perennial confusion as to the meaning and plight of democracy. Mob rule could be mistaken for democracy.

When illiteracy, ignorance and lack of enlightenment dominates a political space, even the simplest challenges of routine democratic practice are presented as systemic earthquakes. The budget process is often rigged in favour of paddings by the legislators just as the executive muzzles its way through questionable bills. Legislators are not certain how to vote for simple legislations.  Debates on the floor of parliament are either not held at all or are muzzled through the nefarious power of open bribery. Or legislators as licensed thugs scream their way through troublesome  sessions.

The executive frequently read or deliberately misinterpret the constitution to serve their narrow political interests. Both unfortunate features have been displayed recklessly with the President’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

Those who are still troubled by the present sorry state of democracy in Nigeria should look even harder at the character of  our national elite especially those who call themselves politicians. The time is approaching when we shall ask our political class to educate us on whether politics in Nigeria is a career, a vocation, a profession, a trade or part time unregulated business.

Nigerian Muslims today joined their counterparts worldwide to mark Eid-el-Fitri, which signifies the end of Ramadan.

The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, last night declared the end of the month-long fast and announced today, March 30, 2025 as equivalent to 1 Day of SHAWWAL 1446AH and Eid-el-Fitri day.

 
 

The Sultan, who is the president-general of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), said the decision followed the report of National Moon Sighting Committees across the country confirming sighting of the new moon in several places across Nigeria.

The Sultan felicitated with the Nigerian Muslim Ummah and wished them Allah’s guidance and blessings.

He also urged Muslim Ummah to continue to pray for peace, progress and development of the country, wished all Muslims well during and after the celebration.

He further enjoined Muslims to continue to pray for our leaders.

Ahead of the celebration, security was beefed up by the Police, the Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps (NSCDC) and sister agencies across the country to enable Muslims observe a hitch-free Eid-el-Fitri.

Also yesterday, Saudi Arabia confirmed the sighting of the new moon to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan and start of the next Islamic month of Shawwal.

With the new moon sighting, celebration of the Eid-el-Fitri will hold today, being the first date of Shawwal.

The moon sighting was officially reported on the Haramain Sharifain X platform.

Around 10 observatories were involved in the sighting of Shawwal moon in Saudi Arabia, according to Haramain Info, an official social media handle of the country’s religious authority.

Before the official announcement, the website pointed out that experts in Saudi Arabia were divided on the expected sighting of the Shawwal crescent.

While five recognised astronomical experts predicted the likely Eid al-Fitr date as Sunday, four others expected it to be observed on Monday.

Ramadan began in most parts of the world on March 1, after sighting the new moon.

Meanwhile, Muslims thronged major motor parks across the country yesterday, home-bound for the Sallah celebration.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) also deployed its men and officers on the highways to ensure smooth motoring during the celebration.

To ensure a peaceful Eid-el-Fitr celebration, the Kaduna State Police Command yesterday intensified security deployment across the state.

The command’s spokesperson DSP Mansir Hassan, in a statement he issued on behalf of the commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, directed all area commanders, divisional police officers (DPOs) and Tactical Units to strengthen patrols, surveillance and intelligence gathering in all parts of the state.

The measures, he said, are aimed at preventing any potential security threats and ensuring the safety of residents and visitors before, during and after the festive period.

The commissioner urged the residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with the police by reporting any suspicious activities through the command’s emergency lines: 0703967 5856, 08075391105.

In Kano State, the NSCDC command has deployed 3,256 personnel across the state to ensure a smooth Sallah festivity.

The spokesperson of the command, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said personnel would be mobilised around Eid praying grounds, recreational/event centres, markets, critical national assets and infrastructure among others to safeguard life and property.

“Personnel of the command have been briefed to work in conjunction and synergy with all the security agencies for a peaceful Sallah celebration. The good people of Kano are hereby advised to cooperate with the security agents while the festive season last for a peaceful and memorable Eid-el-Fitr,” Abdullahi said.

The FRSC deployed 1,889 personnel to ease traffic flow during the celebration in Kano.

The sector commander, Masa’udu Matazu, said the corps had deployed five ambulances, patrol vehicles, one heavy duty tow truck and other operational equipment to major routes and highways, to facilitate effective smooth operations.

According to him, Eid-el-Fitri special patrol operation will run from March 27 to April 2, as 1,348 regular marshals and 541 special marshals would ensure safe, smooth vehicular movement, traffic control and give prompt attention to victims of road traffic crashes.

Also, the Bauchi State Police Command has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring a safe and secure environment for all the residents as well as a hitch-free Eid-el-Fitr celebration.

The state police commissioner, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, assured the public of the command’s dedication to implementing robust security measures and fostering a conducive atmosphere for prayers throughout the state.

A statement signed by the command’s spokesperson, CSP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, emphasised that the safety of life and property remains the police top priority.

He urged the residents to send complaints via the Police Rescue Me App or contact emergency numbers 08151849417 and 09053872273″ when necessary.

[Leadership]

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, has rejoiced with Muslims in the country on the successful completion of this year’s Ramadan Fast, urging them to carry forward the lessons of the blessed month.

Eid-el-Fitr marks the end of the Ramadan Fast, the fourth pillar of Islam, during which Muslims are devoted to intense worship and prayers to Almighty Allah.

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), under the leadership of its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Saturday evening declared Sunday, March 30, as the first day of Shawwal.

Senator Barau, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, prayed to Allah SWT to accept supplications, prayers and the good deeds of the Ummah during the blessed Month.

Senator Barau, the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, urged everyone to sustain the lessons of the Holy Month and always reflect on them in their daily activities.

He urged all citizens to continue praying for the country and to lend their full support to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as he addresses the nation’s challenges.

He reiterated the National Assembly’s commitment to enacting necessary legislation to support the President’s efforts.

The Deputy President of the Senate, expressed optimism that the newly established regional development commissions in North West, North Central, South East, South West, and South-South will significantly contribute to developing the country’s regions.

President Tinubu recently assented to bills passed by the National Assembly to establish these five regional commissions (Senator Barau sponsored the bill for the North West Development Commission) to address the country’s developmental challenges.

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to my fellow Muslims across the country and all Nigerians as we celebrate this year’s Eid-el-Fitr, marking the end of the Ramadan Fast. May Allah SWT accept our prayers, supplications and good deeds during this blessed month.

“In the spirit of the season, let us reach out to the needy and the poor, both during and after the festivities. Let us continue to pray for our country and for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to succeed in positively transforming our country. Regardless of our differences, let us unite and practice tolerance by living peacefully with one another,” he said.

[DailyTrust]