IN the next two weeks, Nigerians will troop out to cast their votes for the candidates of their choice in the 2011 general election. The process will see the election of the next set of politicians that will rule them for the next four years.
It is absolutely essential that this is done in a free and fair manner, devoid of violence and other forms of electoral offences that have become a recurrent decimal in our political life since the return to democratic rule in1999.
It is rather unfortunate, indeed tragic, that past elections have been mired in extreme violence leading to avoidable loss of lives and destruction of properties.
Unfortunately, too, the current campaigns by the various political parties ahead of the 2011 general election have also claimed casualties in various parts of the country in the last three months. In fact, there seems to be an upsurge in political violence in the land as the general election approaches.
Many have even argued that the immediate causes of political violence in the country in both the current as well as past political dispensations include lack of internal democratic structures and processes within the individual political parties – leading to imposition of candidates on party members. Others are, weak democratic institutions and culture; the prevailing political mind-set of do-or-die and winner-takes-all; the weakness and alleged partisanship of the law enforcement agencies during election times; the lack of prompt judicial response to cases of electoral offences; the general socioeconomic downturn that has rather remained unaddressed over the years, among others.
Most egregious of the above list is the apparent weakness of law enforcement and security agencies in the country who more often than not are taken by surprise in many outbreaks of violence during political rallies or conventions. The Nigeria Police and other relevant security agencies seem not to have learnt appropriate lessons from the conduct of past elections which were attended by bloodshed as by economic losses.
The Nigeria Police, other security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) and the judiciary collectively share the responsibility to protect the electorates from attacks by violent political elements; to ensure a free and fair election; and to enforce relevant provisions of the law against all electoral offenders without fear or favour.
It is the responsibility of everyone to stem the tide of political violence that has come to imbue democratic practice in the country with a bloody face. The issues at stake are therefore, clear: sustainability of democracy as the best political system; and the election of politicians that will pursue good governance and economic development of the country.