Lecture: Democracy, True Representation and the Nigeria Political Class – By SALAKO OLADIMEJI

“Being a maiden lecture delivered at Omooba Ojugbele Dahood Dumininu (ODD) interactive lecture on the 20th Saturday June 2020.”

 

 

1. Prelude

 

The opened ‘social space’ undoubtedly shapes our thinking ( not thought) but it does not possess such erudition power that will organize and sharpen these nascent or should one say embryonic reasoning to become an IDEA, PERSPECTIVE, and THOUGHT that are useful to solve and address social problems. Thus, as we age, our understanding of the social world changes, and with the multiplicities of unbridled reasoning, the human society which comprises of us become vulnerable to a resurgence of anarchy. But with the aid of group thinking, and social interaction cum dialectics, a synthesis which in turn culminates into a perception, idea, and thoughts are built. Hence, we have survived or that we are still surviving to construct and live in a world of complexly defined and sound ideological views-perceptions-thoughts which have become conceivable for proffering answers to the diverse social problems that challenges if not threaten humanity.

 

It is the search for this wholesomely awesome political/economic/social… thoughts that has made social discourse and interactions (of this kind) the most critical, imperative and profitable of any human endeavor. Of note is Pa Aristotle, one of the founding fathers of the study of politics, who holds the view that ‘politics’ is the ability and power to take part in a social, and deliberative interaction between two or more individuals. It is also instructive to note that Pa Aristotle conception of “good and responsible” citizenship (which implies; individuals deliberating and sufficing for the purpose of good life), equally rely on (t)his conception of politics.

 

Thus, it is against this background that I would like to first congratulate the organizer Comrade Ojugbele Dumininu Dahoud (politically famed as ODD) who convened this lofty program. I also appreciate all persons who have come to participate in this human most, state-manly, rewarding and responsible social activity. I equally also consider it a rare privilege to have been invited as the (pioneering) speaker on this progressive cum intellectual leveler.

 

2. Introduction

 

The opening of this lecture is ineluctably glossed with a confluence of Apology, Confusion and conceptualization, so that the first task of this lecture will be a proper demystification. To start with the apology, I have necessarily and innocuously rephrase the topic of today’s conversation; *“True representation can meant to be? A case study of Nigeria politicians”.*

 

I have considered rephrasing the above boldly written topic for only two reasons (i) “True representation” cannot meaningfully be explained in exclusivity. It must exist as a miniature of the omnibus democratic system. (ii) The term “politician” is technically an exhaustive concept that accommodates all kinds and class of political beings; voters, opinion publics, political party members, and political elites. But I understand that is in the mind of the organizer to introspect the extent to which political leaders in Nigeria have well represented the people that entrusted them with power, hence, the refined topic; *Democracy, true representation and Nigeria political class.*

 

3. Can there be anything as called True Representation?

I am in the second instance confuse of what is “True” representation. It does appear to me that the term TRUE is metaphysical and can only be fathom in that mystique realm. If I must define, a TRUE representative must be an infallible being who sustainably represents some sort of consensual but mystical interests that are not necessarily discoverable, or do not signify a state of awareness by the people he represent, but to whom his policies, laws and actions (regardless of it’s effect) are tacitly recognized, thus his public policy are interpreted as unquestionable and infallible. For me, only God Almighty suits this analogy and to whom we acknowledged his infallibility by faith.

 

To put it more succinctly, I agree that what is TRUE exist, and that it is a state of the mind, but we must wonder what does it look like? And in what form and dimension? Meanwhile, until we know and unless we see beyond our mind, we do not know and we do not see.

 

So I like to empirically discuss what we can see and that we know. This will provide us the opportunity to collect, evaluate and make an inference of our experience with our political personnel, which to me is the simple goal of this lecture. It is to this extent that I will prefer to use the word *”Good Representation”*.

 

4. What is Good Representation?

As discussed above, “truth” is sacred and man can interpret it as good or bad depending on its social effect. So that, what is termed GOOD is an ethic-ally based concept borne out of man interaction and it is a reflection of their conformity. Again, “Good” is what man has agreed and considered to be plausible and acceptable as a code within a particular social settings or perhaps a standard for a defined set of people. In this case, “Good representation” can simply refer to as; the reflection of man’s conformity, agreement, and interests.

 

Political representation is not just a democratic character but the hallmark of democracy because it points at continuous interaction, communication and consensus building between the people and those they have elected or appointed as their representative (not leader) for the making of public policy. I need to point out here that Leadership should not necessarily mean Representation, just as we cannot interchange Leadership with Ruler-ship, or Good governance with Development. But a good leader has that representative character. Hanna Pitkin (1967) provides, perhaps, one of the most straightforward definitions: to represent is simply to “make present again.” On this definition, political representation is the activity of making citizens’ voices, opinions, and perspectives “present” in public policy making processes.

 

Furthermore, political representation is a system with three (3) complex units. The effective functionality of the entire units is responsible for achieving good representation. In fact, when any of the units fails, it affects the entire system which in turn results into debacle.

Below are the three (3) units of political representation

(i)            Those who are representing  (representatives)

(ii)           What is being represented     (highest good)

(iii)          Those who are represented    (highest numbers of constituents)

 

5. Types of political representation; Delegates and Trustee political representation

In concluding my theoretical framings, I like to draw your attention and with brief explanation to the two (2) schools of thought on political representation.

(a)          Trustees – trustees are representatives who follow their own understanding of the best action to pursue.

(b)          Delegates – Representatives who are delegates simply follow the expressed preferences of their constituents.

 

Delegate conceptions of representation require representatives to follow their constituents’ preferences, while trustee conceptions require representatives to follow their own judgment about the proper course of action. Any adequate theory of representation must grapple with these contradictory demands. But I shared my sentiment against trusteeship representative as a way to go for Nigeria rickety democratic practices.

 

I am sure Edmund Burke himself who popularize this conception of trusteeship representation under which he assumed that; “since the constituents will vote rationally, then, the representatives are enlightened enough to galvanize what will be in the best interest of the nation”  never in his wildest imagination envisaged that there will be a country where constituents will idiotically exchange their franchise/votes with a loaf of bread that will later elect a controversial secondary school certificate holder. He would not have thought that someday in the history of humanity, an election will be conducted, and the one who scored two votes, will emerge as winner over the person who polled five (5) votes.

 

Burke who reigned during the enlightenment era would not have assumed that hundreds of years after him, man will still be as primitive, barbaric and feckless that a political representative will propagate an apogee of falsehoods, the worst form of irresponsibility against those he is representing; that he has provided for them 10,000 units of hand sanitizers without evidence of a single 100 units. Edmund Burke was writing in Britain and not Nigeria where once you are elected into political power, then you have emerge as the new god that must remain unquestionable. So, I think our conception of democracy must be how we can develop and sustain delegates political representation and not the advice of burke that will completely make a nonsense of our society that is currently being handled by rogues and mobs.

 

6. The question of Good Representation and some selected cases in Ado/Odo-Ota local government.

If we have agreed to a delegate’s representation as our understanding of what is political representation, then we must evaluate our political elite class – that is, our representatives based on what they have been voted and entrusted to represent by the constituents.

 

I also think it will be needless to begin to search for cases of such (mis)representation outside our immediate environment. In actual fact, the political recklessness, rascality, and irresponsibility of the political class within the local area (Ado/Odo-Ota local government) that hosts this lecture. In fact, cases herein alone cannot be exhausted if we must extend this conversation to another seventy four (74) hours. In my opinion however, very little thing will surprise us in the practice of government and politics in Ado/Odo-Ota local government and what is obtainable in the entire Nigeria state, to the extent that Ado/Odo-Ota local government is just an illumination of what happens in Nigeria. It is for this reason that I will like to domesticate our case study to Ado/Odo-Ota local government.

 

So, bearing in mind my analogy which implies that; a good representative is the one who advances what (s)he is being voted to represent by those (s)he is representing for the purpose of their good life. We therefore need to ask the following questions;

1. Who are Ado/Odo-Ota local government representatives?
2. What are they voted to represent?

iii.            How good have they deliver these representations?

1. What are the roles of the constituents in ensuring they are well represented?
2. To what extent have they been able to discharge these roles
3. What must be done to enhance good representation as a process of democratic consolidation in Ado/Odo-Ota LGA?

 

Reacting to the first question. The representatives in Ado/Odo-Ota local government includes those in the Executive, legislatures, Bureaucracy, and of course the wider political cycle. We have examples of them in the instance of Engr. Noimot Salako (executive), Mr. Sheriif Ibema, Mr. Jimoh Ojugbele (Legislator), Mr. Tunji Akinosi, Mr. Nurudeen Aina (political bureaucracy) and the wider cycle which includes those who are relevant in the local government political system. They do not necessarily have to be previously or currently in government. Simply, they are active politicians majorly at the gladiatorial level whose opinion significantly influence public policy (Mr. Jide Ojuko, Mr. Kazeem Salako, Senator Akin Odunsi, and Mr. Segun Ojolowo, Sen Ayodeji Otegbola, etc.). The list is endless.

 

On the second question which as to do with what these representatives have emerged to represent. In my democracy lecture titled “Knock the door and it shall be opened; a review of a year of consistent knocking”. I argued that amongst several critical problems/interests that confronts the people of Ado/Odo-Ota L.G.A, in the build up to the 2019 gubernatorial election in Ogun state were prominently six (6).

1-            Construction of modern central market in the entire local government.

2-            Creation of Awori Traditional Council

3-            Regaining Awori territories from expansionists

4-            Job opportunities and youth economic empowerment

5-            Building of infrastructure (roads, bridges, library etc.)

6-            Quality local governance system

7-            New Problems

(Salako; 2020)

 

 

In that lecture, I also referenced a post I made on the 17th of May 2020 on a Whatsapp Platform – Ota Update Today;

 

*“Before 2019, the Aworis use to assume that their problem was because they have a problem of identity, representation, sphere of influence in the state government. By May 29th 2019, the deputy governor of the state (executive), the majority leader of the legislative house (legislature), and a member of the state judicial council (judiciary), to include the head of the state civil service (bureaucracy) who just retired from service, and Mr. Tunji Akinosi (Political bureaucracy) were indigenous to the Ado/Odo- Ota, Awori territory, but yet, self-help irredentist struggle, economic backwardness, poor local governance system, high level of unemployment, etc. persists. I have undoubtedly cast this as a problem of lack of good, sincere, and honest political leadership.”*

 

The interests of the Ado/Odo-Ota local government are inexhaustible as they are captured under Political, economic, social, cultural development. Thirdly, to this extent, we must ask how GOOD have they deliver these representations. Since the beginning of Nigeria nascent democracy, it is patently observed that no significant sustainable development have been recorded in Ado/Odo-Ota local government. It has been a recycling and mimicking of failed leadership and poor sense and commitment to sustainable development of the most viable local government area in Ogun state and one of in Nigeria. But these is traceable to bad representation. Let me for the sake of clarification advance some categorizations or indices of good representation.

 

1. Effective Communication – the level of interaction between the represented and representatives. One must imagine why it is impossible having a consistent town hall meetings between the representatives and the represented. Could it be a problem of political arrogance, rascality or sheer bravado that construct the thinking that makes political elites assume the people do not qualify to be sited with. We must therefore question the possibility of good representation of the people that have no relationship or meeting with their representatives. I think there is the need to advance a separate lecture to conceptualize, with the aim of orientating the political elites on what is termed “representative democracy”.

 

2. Semblance – The extent to which a representative resembles those that are being represented. Sadly, most of the people we entrust with high political positions in the local government are mostly people who do not have a hitherto relationship with the people. The instances of Senator Akin Odunsi, Gbolahan Dada, both of whom were in the senate 2011-2015, 2015-2019 respectively and Mrs. Noimot Salako who is currently the deputy governor of Ogun state etc. are very recent. This practice is mostly repugnant to any theory of local governance. Representatives must not only have an ancestral lineage with the represented but they must be those with economic, historical, and psychological semblance of the people they want to represent, or those who have effectively socialize with the political culture of the place they intend to practice politics.

 

This view align with Harold Laswell conception of politics that; politics is about who gets what, when and how. This is symptomatic to the point that professionalism may not alone indicate competence but grasping the political nomenclature and its inherent elements. Importing representatives are not necessarily bad but they cannot be too good to mobilize effective representations.

 

The pattern of importing representatives must change and people who genuinely resemble the reality of the people must be entrusted with position of authorities. The challenge with imported politicians includes that they are vulnerable to a “misleading advisory system” dominated by the home based political actors for fraudulent goals. These spurious advisers will later compound their challenge of insensitivity culminating to losing touch and connection completely with the people. I am not therefore averse to meritocracy. My argument must be grasp to avoid misrepresentation. I am saying that governance must be based on understanding of peoples need. And this must be the need that representatives must recognize as the NEEDFUL. But how do you know the need when you have no understanding of the need. Needless should people like that be trusted with power.

 

 

3. Advocacy for Transcendence – systemic and non-systemic. Systemic for example are physical and capital development such as road, bridges, education and economic. But the roads have failed from Ado, Agbara, to Ota. The local government is embarrassed without a single bridge. Whereas we have several of bridge elsewhere in the state, particularly when and where they are not necessary. The advocacy and imperativeness for meaningful and sustainable development in the local government must be top in the consciousness of the political elite’s class.

 

On whether or not the constituents have a role to play in the quest for good representation. My response is in affirmative, but I will briefly highlight with brief explanation of such roles.

1. Failure of accountability system – The ability of the constituents to seek for and punish their representative for failing to act in accordance to their social contract. However, what I have perceived or observed is poor accountability system both horizontally and vertically. If political representatives are resisted providing quality development, the people should not have they have so far shown their failure to probe and ask fundamental questions on how verifiable their public wealth and resources have been utilized. Quest for accountability is not a right of the constituents, it is in fact the duty of constituents. I like to see it as a duty and not right. Seeing it as a duty gives everyone a sense of responsibility to ask legitimate question and question political irresponsibility. Although civic rights are fundamental but citizens may take decision to self-infringement but civic duties are responsibilities that citizens must exercise. It is the audacity that constituents exhibit as their role to ensure hygiene in politics.

 

2. Mediocritizing or poor governance expectation – This is perhaps one of the reasons that has made seeking accountability difficult. It is agreeable that citizenship or responsible citizenry must observe the duty of seeking for accountability. However, one can only protest government action when you are suspicion or aware of misrepresentation, fraudulent practices, mis-governance etc. The first challenge which I have observed particularly here in Ota that I am more familiar with is that people may be as a result of ignorance, or whatever celebrate bad governance that should ordinarily be protested and politicians that should be in the prison for patent corruption.

 

In the final part of this section, we should be interested in finding out what must be done to enhance good representation as a process of democratic consolidation in Ado/Odo-Ota local government?

 

(a)          Pre selection process- the representative must look like, have common interests with, or share certain experiences with the represented.

(b)          Credible election and Rational voting – means by which a representative obtains his or her standing, status, position or office. One must be sure whether a representative legitimately holds his or her position.

(c)           Strong institution – the strong institution can only be achieved through checks and balances which must be well exhibited by private social clubs, religious organizations, good youths exuberance.

(d)          Building of leadership – my conceptualization of the leadership that is desirable for this local government is not confined to youths in politics. Perhaps, we may have another opportunity to discuss this very important aspect of Ado/Odo-Ota LG problem.

(e)          Godfatherism- godfatherism is a componential part of political democracy which overtime have been skewed to interpret negativity. Even in the develop world, godfatherism is part of democratic politics. The compositioning of politics or democracy makes godfatherism inevitable especially in this part of the world. Godfatherism can be used to mobilize good and sustainable development where there are good and people-centric political fathers. I think except for semantics, nothing differentiate godfatherism from political mentorship that we often advocate for. But, can’t a mentor misdirect to the extent that even armed robbers have confessed to have mentors. Political godfathers can teach good conception of politics and governance service delivery.

 

7. Conclusion

Let me conclude that ‘good representation’ cannot be simplistically explained as mere electing a person to position of authority for the purpose of governance. We have understood that it is more complex than that monolithic view. It involves politicians, people, organizations, civil societies etc in the omnibus governance environment.

 

It is conceived that a society that must thrive in sustainable development must not alone focus on good leaders but also responsible followers. It is the lack of responsible followership that led to the crisis of leadership which has become an unanswered problem in our society. I recommend that unless we have a reorientation of our conception of politics and that people actively and responsibly involve and participate in politics, the reality of good representation as an offshoot of good governance and sustainable development will remain a farce. In all, political leaders must be responsible and live a life of good impact.

 

SALAKO, Azeem Oladimeji.                       B.Sc., .M.Sc. (Pol Sci, IBD), .Mcpa.

[email protected]

 

 

I thank you for listening.