“Na so our lives for Africa dey roll
Since them say we get independence.
The civilian government wey them dey
Na soldier dey protect them.”
Fela; O.D.O.O. (Overtake Don Overtake Overtake)
I have read with goosebumps all over me, comments by self acclaimed defenders of democracy, CEOs of pro-democracy NGOs, glorifying the militarization of 2023 Elections. They claim that the military is needed to teach political thugs a lesson; they justify and share on images/videos of soldiers maltreating civilians. These civilians without any court pronouncement, are adjudged thugs who had been higher by parties A,B or C, to cause mayhem on Election Day.
This raid by the Army and in most states, joint security operations, is carried out in all the geopolitical zones but people choose which one to celebrate or condemn.
No matter which you choose, the frightening reality is, we are telling Military men, that we are not ready or have we learnt to conduct ourselves democratically, without their protection and deployment of their arms.
While coup is no longer fashionable in Africa because it doesn’t serve the interest of the West like it did during the Cold War, we should not think the Boys in Khaki have been truly civilized into slowing undemocratic civilians to mess up the country. Also if and when it favors the West, a coup will happen. The West will prefer a military dictatorship to unruly democratic government in any African country that will cause destabilization of African Continent, which will increase refugees seeking asylum in the West.
Nigeria is the most populous black country in the world, any internal crisis that snowballs into massive killing and displacement of persons, will get the nod of the West, for the military to takeover and normalize the situation.
Against this backdrop, I am constrained to call that, the military, should be taken off the streets during this Electioneering Process. Enforcement of security during election, should be a civil affairs to be handled by the Police and Civil Defence.
While Fela’s song above quoted goes through my mind, I remember an Azaraegbelu folklore on why the Fox eats the Cock. The Fox was in mortal fear of the Cock as it believes that the Cock’s comb was fire. In the course of romance between the two, after the Fox had helped drive away a kite; the cock in show of appreciation, asked the Fox to touch his comb, that it’s harmless and not consuming fire. Being demystified, the Fox developed an appetite for raw chicken meat.
We have since 1999 being deliberately courting the military, exposing our un-readiness to govern ourselves democratically. At every critical point in our journey, so have expressly called for the Army to come back.
These calls are being heard and 2023 General Elections, particularly after votes had been collated, our democratic reaction or meltdown into anarchy, may get us to hearing that familiar, “I Major General…” with marshal music on the background, ending with, “All boarders closed…, the 1999 Constitution suspended…Go about your normal duties if you are not the enemy of the people but the following should report to the nearest military formation to them.”
