Kunle Somorin writes that the native authorities election organised not too long ago in Rivers state by the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) is just not solely unlawful however must be reviewed as quickly because the constitutionally elected authorities is restored within the oil-rich state.
Within the theatre of Nigerian democracy, the place the absurd is just not a deviation however the default, Rivers State has simply staged a efficiency so exquisitely paradoxical it deserves its personal style: tragicomedy in constitutional costume. The curtain has now fallen on the native authorities elections performed underneath emergency rule, and the viewers—bewildered, bemused, and betrayed—is left to interpret the plot.
Certificates of return have been issued. The Rivers State Unbiased Electoral Fee (RSIEC), with the solemnity of a priest at a coronation, has handed mandates to 23 chairmen-elect and 319 councillors-elect. The administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), presiding over this democratic séance, declares that the method has restored democracy to the grassroots.
And in a twist worthy of a Shakespearean subplot, chairmen of opposition events have issued an announcement commending the result of the polls.
It’s a second that calls for not mere commentary however philosophical exorcism. For what we’re witnessing is just not democracy reborn, however democracy taxidermied—stuffed, posed, and paraded for ceremonial impact.
Emergency rule, by its very nature, is a suspension of democratic order. It’s the constitutional equal of a coma—an induced state to stop additional deterioration. The administrator, appointed not by the individuals however by the presidency, is a caretaker, not a sovereign. His mandate is to stabilise, to not sanctify. But, right here he’s, conducting elections, issuing certificates, and proclaiming the restoration of democracy.
This isn’t restoration. It’s redecoration. Democracy, in its essence, is a covenant between the ruled and their governors—a contract signed within the ink of consent. That consent can’t be manufactured underneath duress, nor simulated underneath emergency. To conduct elections in such a context is to mistake choreography for conviction, and ritual for actuality.
Vice Admiral Ibas, little question a person of self-discipline and decorum, has now assumed the function of democratic midwife. However the little one he presents is just not born of fashionable will—it’s cloned from administrative fiat. The poll, underneath his watch, turns into not an instrument of selection however a instrument of consolidation.
And but, the opposition chairmen applaud. Their assertion, delivered with the grace of political theatre, praises the peaceable conduct of the polls and the professionalism of RSIEC. One wonders: is that this real commendation, or strategic compliance? Is it an endorsement of the method, or an acceptance of its inevitability?
In a polity the place survival typically masquerades as technique, such gestures should not unusual. The opposition, confronted with the equipment of state and the choreography of management, could select to bop somewhat than dissent. It’s the politics of lodging—the place silence is safer than scrutiny, and applause extra worthwhile than protest.
However allow us to not be distracted by the applause. The philosophical query stays: can legitimacy be conferred by a course of born of suspension?
RSIEC Chairman, Michael Odey, in his deal with, described the ceremony as a proud second for Nigeria’s democracy. He urged the winners to manipulate with humility and transparency, and reminded them that the certificates was not merely a logo of victory however a mandate for service. It was a speech wealthy in aspiration, but hole in context.
For what’s a mandate with no mandate-giver? What’s service with out sovereignty? The elected chairmen, led by Alwell Ihunda of Port Harcourt Metropolis Native Authorities Space, expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and Vice Admiral Ibas for “restoring peace” and “returning democracy to the native authorities.” It was a declaration that may be poetic, have been it not so paradoxical.
Democracy can’t be returned by decree. It have to be reclaimed by the individuals. The election, performed underneath the watchful eye of an unelected administrator, could have been peaceable. It might have been orderly. It might even have been technically sound. Nevertheless it was not democratic. It was a efficiency of democracy, not its apply.
And therein lies the hazard. When democracy turns into a efficiency, its ideas are diminished to props. The poll field turns into a stage prop. The certificates of return, a fancy dress. The voters, an viewers. The actors, well-rehearsed. The script, pre-written.
It’s a theatre of legitimacy, the place the plot is management and the climax is compliance. To extrapolate this oxymoron is to confront the philosophical rot on the coronary heart of our democratic tradition. We’ve come to just accept the simulation of democracy as its substance. We’ve allowed the rituals of selection to interchange the truth of consent. We’ve mistaken the issuance of certificates for the conferral of legitimacy.
However legitimacy is just not a certificates. It’s a covenant. And that covenant can’t be signed underneath emergency rule. If Nigeria is to reclaim its democratic soul, it should draw a line between emergency administration and electoral authority. The next ideas have to be enshrined—not merely in regulation, however in tradition.
Elections have to be performed by elected governments. Emergency directors could preserve order, however they have to not manufacture legitimacy. Electoral commissions have to be unbiased—not simply in construction, however in spirit. Their allegiance have to be to the Structure, to not the administrator.
Public session should precede any electoral train underneath emergency rule. The individuals have to be knowledgeable, engaged, and empowered to determine. Transparency have to be whole. Each facet of the method—from planning to execution—have to be open to scrutiny.
Publish-election audits have to be necessary. As soon as normalcy is restored, the elections have to be reviewed. If irregularities are discovered, the outcomes have to be annulled and contemporary elections performed. However past these procedural reforms, we should domesticate a democratic ethos—one which values precept over efficiency, substance over spectacle, legitimacy over legality.
And so, as Rivers State settles into its new native authorities management, allow us to not be lulled by the pageantry. Allow us to not mistake certificates for consent, nor applause for authenticity. Allow us to do not forget that democracy is just not a fancy dress to be worn throughout emergencies—it’s a covenant to be honoured in all seasons.
The administrator could declare democracy restored. The opposition could commend the method. The fee could situation certificates. However the individuals should ask: was this our selection, or merely our choreography?
For democracy is just not a dish to be served throughout a fireplace drill. It’s a feast that requires preparation, participation, and precept. And if the fireman insists on organising a banquet whereas the flames rage, we should ask: is he feeding the individuals—or feeding the phantasm?
-Somorin writes from Abeokuta.
