By Chief Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, SAN
There comes a time in the life of every society when silence ceases to be an option. As Kogi East gradually approaches the 2027 general elections, I believe that responsible elders, political leaders, professionals, religious leaders, traditional institutions and, indeed, every citizen must speak with one voice on one fundamental principle: Our democracy must not be surrendered to political thuggery.
The 2027 elections must belong to the people of Kogi East. Not to political godfathers. Not to moneybags. Not to party machines. Not to political thugs. Not to individuals who imagine that because they possess political influence they have acquired ownership of the conscience and votes of the people. The people must decide.
POLITICAL POWER IS A TRUST, NOT AN INHERITANCE.
Democracy rests upon a simple but profound proposition: government derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed.Political office is therefore not private property. It is a public trust. No politician, however powerful, should behave as though he or she has acquired a proprietary interest in the political destiny of an entire people. A political leader may persuade citizens to support a candidate. A political party may mobilise its members. An aspirant may present his credentials and programmes.
But ultimately, the individual voter must make the choice. That choice must be free.
It must be voluntary. It must be informed.
And it must be made without intimidation.
Any attempt to deprive citizens of that freedom is an assault on the very foundation of democracy.
THE VOTE OF THE PEOPLE IS NOT PERSONAL PROPERTY
We must particularly reject the increasingly dangerous political language suggesting that particular individuals can “deliver” communities, wards or local governments to candidates as though the votes of citizens were personal possessions. Nobody owns the vote of another citizen.
A traditional ruler does not own the votes of his subjects. A political leader does not own the votes of his followers. A community leader does not own the votes of members of his community. A political godfather does not own the votes of those who respect him.Every eligible voter possesses an individual democratic voice.That voice must not be appropriated by anybody.
The people are not delegates of political leaders. Political leaders are servants of the people.
POLITICS MUST NOT BECOME WAR.
One of the greatest dangers confronting our democracy is the deliberate conversion of political disagreement into personal hostility.We must resist it. Politics is not warfare. An opponent is not an enemy.
A different political opinion is not a declaration of war. Membership of another political party does not make a citizen less entitled to protection under the Constitution.
Kogi East cannot afford a political culture in which people are attacked merely because they support different candidates. We cannot build a prosperous society on the ruins of brotherhood. We cannot create development through hatred. And we cannot secure the future of our children by teaching them that violence is the price of political participation.
TO THE POLITICAL THUGS: DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELVES TO BE USED
I make a special appeal to those young men who are recruited, financed or encouraged to engage in political violence. Do not allow yourselves to become expendable instruments in somebody else’s political project.The politician who sends you to fight may not stand beside you when the consequences arrive. If you are arrested, he may not be in the police station. If you are prosecuted, he may not sit beside you in court.If you are injured, he may not bear your medical bills. If you lose your life, no political office can restore you to your family.
Think about your mother. Think about your father.Think about your wife. Think about your children.Think about your future.
No political ambition is worth your life.
You can participate in politics without violence.You can campaign. You can mobilise. You can debate. You can persuade. You can vote.You can become a political leader yourself. But do not become a weapon in the hands of another person’s ambition.
TO POLITICAL LEADERS: YOUR LEGACY WILL NOT BE MEASURED ONLY BY VICTORIES.
I appeal equally to our political leaders.
The true measure of political leadership is not simply how many elections one wins. It is also how one conducts oneself while seeking power. A leader who wins an election but leaves his community divided has a responsibility to answer history. A leader who uses young people to perpetrate violence may win political advantage temporarily, but the wounds inflicted upon society may remain for generations.
Leadership requires restraint. Leadership requires responsibility. Leadership requires the ability to tell one’s supporters:
“Do not attack your opponent.”
“Do not destroy property.”
“Do not threaten voters.”
“Do not prevent anybody from campaigning.”
“Do not interfere with the electoral process.”
That is the language of democratic leadership.
LET 2027 BE DIFFERENT
The 2027 elections provide an opportunity for Kogi East to demonstrate political maturity. Let candidates come before the people. Let them explain their programmes.
Let them defend their records. Let them answer difficult questions. Let citizens scrutinise their credentials. Let the people compare their visions for the future.
Then let the people vote.That is democracy.
If a candidate believes that he or she is the preferred choice of the people, there should be no need to intimidate the people.
Persuasion should replace coercion.
Ideas should replace violence.
The ballot should replace the bullet.
OUR YOUTHS MUST NOT BE THE CANNON FODDER OF POLITICS.
Our youths are the greatest asset of Kogi East.They should not be reduced to instruments for settling political scores.
The young person carrying a weapon for a politician today may be the person who needs employment tomorrow. The young person destroying another person’s property today may need that same society to protect his own property tomorrow.
The young person attacking another citizen because of politics may discover tomorrow that political affiliations change while the consequences of violence remain.
Our youths deserve better.
They deserve education.
They deserve employment.
They deserve opportunities.
They deserve a political system in which they can participate as citizens and future leaders—not as political foot soldiers.
LET THE ELECTORAL INSTITUTIONS DO THEIR WORK
The credibility of elections also depends upon the independence, impartiality and effectiveness of the institutions responsible for conducting them. Political actors must allow the electoral process to function according to law. Candidates must be allowed to campaign. Citizens must be allowed to assemble peacefully.
Political parties must be allowed to organise. The media must be allowed to inform the public responsibly. And voters must be allowed to vote without fear.
Where disputes arise, the law provides avenues for redress. The courtroom, not the street; the law, not violence, must be the mechanism for resolving electoral disputes.
KOGI EAST IS BIGGER THAN ANY POLITICIAN
We must never forget this fundamental truth: Kogi East is bigger than any individual politician. Political offices come and go.
Political parties rise and fall. Political alliances change. Political godfathers eventually leave the stage. But the people remain.The communities remain.The children remain. The land remains.
Our responsibility is therefore to preserve the society for those who will inherit it after us. We must not mortgage the future of Kogi East for the temporary satisfaction of political victory.
AN APPEAL TO OUR ELDERS
I also appeal to our elders and respected community leaders. This is the time to speak. We must not remain silent when young people are being recruited for violence. We must not applaud political intimidation merely because it is directed against somebody whose politics we dislike. We must condemn violence whether committed by our supporters or our opponents.Justice cannot be selective.
Democracy cannot be partisan.
The peace of Kogi East must be greater than our individual political preferences.
TO THE PEOPLE OF KOGI EAST
I appeal to our people: do not surrender your democratic power..Listen to every candidate. Examine their records. Question their programmes. Consider their character and public conduct. Then make your choice freely. Do not permit anybody to tell you that your vote belongs to him. Your vote belongs to you. Use it according to your conscience.
And when the election is concluded, let every legitimate grievance be pursued through lawful means.
A FINAL WORD
History will judge this generation by how we conduct ourselves. We can choose to leave behind a legacy of division, violence and political intimidation. Or we can leave behind a legacy of democratic maturity, peaceful competition and respect for the sovereignty of the people. I choose to appeal to our collective conscience.
To our political leaders: lead responsibly.
To our political parties: compete fairly.
To our candidates: persuade, do not intimidate. To our youths: do not allow yourselves to be used as instruments of violence. To our traditional and community leaders: protect your people above partisan interests. To our voters: guard your votes and exercise your democratic rights.
And to all citizens of Kogi East:.Let us disagree without becoming enemies.
Let us compete without destroying one another.Let us campaign without violence.
Let us vote without fear. Let us accept the lawful outcome.
Above all: LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE.
The destiny of Kogi East must not be determined by political thuggery, intimidation or the dictates of a few.
It must be determined by the free will of the people. Let the ballot be more powerful than the bullet. Let democracy thrive.
Let Kogi East choose its leaders freely.
Let the will of the people prevail.
