Third Term Agenda — The Second Coming?
The thing about quotes is that there seems to be one for every situation of life and sometimes there is a counter quote. Reckon that they say longevity brings rewards, but longevity somewhat presupposes familiarity — the longer you work at something or the longer you have known someone equates to your familiarity with that person or process or thing. Then they say familiarity breeds contempt which could mean longstanding knowledge of, usage of, or association with something, could lead to a loss of respect for that thing or person. It is a whimsical thing — the world of quotes.
It is in this capricious world of quotes that one can situate our flirtation with the third term phenomenon in Nigeria. One, it is a good thing that we have operated this system long enough for us to be regurgitating third term a second time around. Two, have we become so familiar with the process that we have lost respect for its traditions and can just pull up any trick as we so wish?
In our nigh-sixty year independence era, we have never had a phase of democratic rule this long (and one hopes it lasts forever). 2019 made it the twentieth year of periodic elections, parliamentary representation, and constitutional supremacy — a big reason to celebrate. I often look for good news in our sadness-drenched environment. But sadly [I feel sad saying that], we have a tendency for travesty. We can bring out the worst out of a very good thing. One can write a treatise on why and how things have not really worked for the man on the Clapham omnibus. In other words, beyond the institutional trappings of democracy — there is little to gladden the heart especially economically.
The Third term agenda is a travesty. Let me quickly predict that in the years to come, this phenomenon will become a crucial implement in the toolbox of wily politicians. The future and the people in it will prove me right or wrong. The idea of tenure elongation did not start as the tool of the opposition. In fact, it began in the stronghold of the then ‘largest party in Africa’ — the People’s Democratic Party.
Right from the moment it failed, until now, many years later, the principal beneficiary (and proponent?) of tenure elongation, former President Olusegun Obasanjo vehemently denies interest in such a thing. As is the case in other parts of Africa where former revolutionaries metamorphosed into sit-tight dictators, tenure elongation was to be achieved through a sham constitutional amendment. That indeed is the only logical and legal means to extend official tenure. The willing personnel in the PDP spared no expense to achieve this vaunted ambition which was to be a shortcut to ruling Nigeria for 60 years.
The exercise failed but the antagonists had made themselves mortal enemies of the powers that be, and the protagonists had emptied the vaults — illegally. Most of all — a monster was born. No one knew it then until now when there are again echoes of a third term. It is interesting that there are similarities in both periods — the president then and now were generals who had been heads of state. They were both in their constitutionally permitted second term.
There are differences as well. Tenure elongation cannot be achieved without constitutional amendment and the All Progressives Congress does not seem to be interested in a constitutional amendment, unlike the PDP back in the day. Indeed, there was, and there still is, an urgent need to make further amendments to the 1999 constitution. This, however, does not mean we cannot chug along as we are now, the document is not completely worthless.
In continuation of the motif of difference; there was an ominous silence from the presidency until the whole plan fell apart on television. This time, the presidency has been vehement in repudiating such claims. The president also recently met with the electoral umpire and the police to discuss the sanctity of future elections. Methinks these are good signs.
It is a shame — and is symptomatic of joblessness or a lack of creativity — to bring up tenure elongation or the next presidential elections only a matter of months after one has just been held. It is a needless distraction. We should be pummeling the government to fulfill its election promises, to respect the rule of law, to reduce the cost of governance, to truly decimate boko haram and its ilk among many pressing national issues.
While I support a single term of 6 years, it is scary to imagine that someday, someone or some group would consider an amendment for two terms of six years or even more. It is not impossible in Nigeria. Our gift for travesty is just legendary. Should we then make the case for a return to the Westminster style of governance? This might just be the solution to ‘sit-tightism’ or the fear of it. It also means we would have cheaper elections, a smaller and less expensive governance structure with the executive and the legislature fused. The Prime Minister can then remain in charge for as long as he enjoys the trust of his colleagues and his constituents as the case may be.
Or is it even possible that we did away with term limits completely — that would certainly be a recipe for chaos given the grasping nature of Nigerian politicians and the conspicuous lack of fair play in the process. We do not want a Mugabe or a Museveni in Nigeria so we must insist on term limits as long as we run a presidential system.
While we hope that another twenty years of practicing the presidential system of democracy will pay dividends of respect for the tenets of majority rule, there is that permanent fear that our temperament as a people will continue to rule our affairs more than any set of legislations. If that remains it is impossible that the current round of third term rumours will be the last. It is also possible that sometime — sooner or later — somebody will succeed in shifting the goalposts by hook and crook. Then there would not have been any reward to the length of the fourth republic.
