The Impending Democratic Revolution in Nigeria

by Wilson Idahosa Aiwuyor

Signs of revolution are in the air in Nigeria, but not the kind of revolution that Prof. Ben Nwabueze recently argued for. During the launching of his book in Lagos, Prof. Nwabueze, member of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) asserted that only a bloody and violent revolution would reverse the pervasive decadence in governance in Nigeria. One could understand Prof. Nwabueze’s frustration over the looting spree and corruption among the ruling class who have neglected the welfare of the ordinary Nigerian. But if history remains a good teacher, there is no certainty that any bloody revolution would solve Nigeria’s problems. All the retrogressive military coups that have taken place in Nigeria as well as the country’s three year civil war (1967-1970) were executed in the name of bringing about revolutionary change. Yet, none could solve the country’s problems. Nigeria should and would have a revolution, it ought not be violent.

If the necessary preconditions are fulfilled, Nigeria’s impending revolution could be through the ballot boxes at a crossroad - possibly by 2015 - where there would be a convergence between divine force (force majeure) and the determined efforts by Nigerians to make a break with politics as usual. This revolution need not conform to the old sense of revolution, which is often a violent and bloody change executed by self-proclaimed revolutionaries.

A New Sense of Revolution

The conventional notion of revolution, which suggests that it must be violent or bloody, is being epistemologically and ontologically challenged. In "Barack and 21^st Century Politics: A Revolutionary Moment in the USA," veteran peace activist and pan-Africanist Horace Campbell “interrogates the traditional sense of revolution, which is often the violent overthrow of existing order by self-proclaimed revolutionaries." Campbell draws on contemporary realities to "relocate revolution within the context of fundamental transformation in the society, sustained by a consciousness of the challenges of the moment bound to a new form of thinking among the rank and file of the society." The democratic revolution that could take place in Nigeria come 2015 would be characterized by a fundamental shift in the nation's polity orchestrated by a change in the thinking and political consciousness of the rank and file of the Nigerian society as it relates to leadership and the obligations of elected officials.

Besides Nigeria’s polity being awash with corruption and misrule, the country, since its return to democratic rule in1999 after decades of military dictatorship, has passed through many turbulent times that threatened to tear it apart. The most recent of such turbulences was witnessed when former President Yar’Adua was ill. It could be argued that what Nigeria has experienced over the last ten years has been democratic transitioning. Having survived this turbulent transitioning, Nigeria’s democracy has now gotten to a point that could launch the country into the next level of democratic governance.

This next level of democratic rule would be made possible by a dramatic change in the political realities of Nigeria, marking a break with the old paradigm of leadership in the country. This change would be reinforced by a renewed sense of optimism and confidence, among Nigerians, in the possibility of realizing a better Nigeria through a people-centered participatory democracy. This may not be easy to come by, but patriotic Nigerians will be more than ever willing to transform their optimism into reality and reclaim the country from the stranglehold of those politicians and remnants of the military era who have held the country hostage for so long. This change could usher in a new generation of leaders and technocrats who have a better understanding of how to prioritize the welfare of the people and reposition Nigeria in the global arena in the 21^st century.

It important to note that this revolution would not produce a utopia, neither would it solve Nigeria’s problems overnight. But it has the prospect of opening up the political space for addressing the grievances and the needs of the people within the confines of democracy. In essence, it holds the potential of transforming the relationship between the government and the people. But there are preconditions for this revolution to materialize.

Preconditions for the Revolution

The ability to translate the imminent democratic revolution into reality is predicated on a divine factor and two human preconditions. The divine factor (force majeure) was once seen in action when the supposedly invincible dictator Gen. Sani Abacha, who was an obstacle to Nigeria’s return to democracy, was taken down by the divine power of God in 1998. This same force came as the deus ex machina (hand of God) that rescued the country from the machinations of elements who, for selfish reasons, did not mind the implosion of the country instead of resolving the constitutional crisis that fell out of former President Yar’Adua’s sickness.

The human factors are hinged on first, the forerunner of the revolution - President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and its ability to carry out the reforms that will prepare the ground for the change in leadership paradigm. This shifting paradigm would infuse confidence in Nigerians that the realization of a better Nigeria within the confines of democracy is within reach. The build up to this confidence would be the practical assurance of the people through the conduct of the 2011 elections that their votes count.

The second human factor is the prerequisite change in Nigerians’ attitude to strongly espouse an action-backed optimism for the possibility of a democratic revolution in the country. The reference memory for this optimism and action could be found in Nigerians' relentless struggle against military rule, a human struggle that was complemented by the divine force culminating in the eventual enthronement of democracy in 1999. In this renewed struggle to take democracy to the next level, Nigerians should put into consideration the words of Alex Steffen:

Where no one believes a better solution is possible, those benefiting from the continuation of a problem are safe. Where no one believes in the possibility of action, apathy becomes an insurmountable obstacle to reform. But introduce intelligent reasons for believing that action is possible, that better solutions are available, and that a better future can be built, and you unleash the power of people to act out of their highest principles. Shared belief in a better future is the strongest glue there is.

Indeed, at the core of this attitudinal change is Nigerians’ ability to look at the little progress that is being made and acknowledge that the glass is half full, while vigorously working to make it full; Nigerians must avoid the dangerous alternative of seeing the glass as half empty, they must desist from the rhetoric and actions of cutting corners for cataclysmic changes in an attempt to make the glass full overnight.

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lWilson Idahosa Aiwuyor is a researcher, consultant, and strategist. He could be reached at aiwudaho@gmail.com.

Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Colloquium: Rendezvous of Africa’s Past, Present and Future

by Wilson Idahosa Aiwuyor

On May 22 to 25, a centenary colloquium was held in Ghana to wrap up months of activities commemorating the 100th birthday anniversary of the late Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana and foremost champion of African liberation and unity. Jointly organized by the government of Ghana and the African Union, the three day colloquium, which was held at the Accra International Conference Center, was a meeting point of Africa’s past, present, and future. The theme of the colloquium was apt: “Contemporary Relevance of Kwame Nkrumah’s Contribution to Pan-Africanism and Internationalism.” Many ideas and philosophies of Dr. Nkrumah were critically examined within the context of Nkrumah’s time as well as in their practical import to contemporary African realities. These philosophies include Nkrumah’s belief in radical approach to development through investment in human resources and in infrastructure development; his championing of an all-African agenda for liberation, reconstruction, and transformation; and his actions on bridging the gap between the Diaspora and the home front in the emancipation and development of the African personhood. Also brought to the fore was Nkrumah’s long term visionary planning that has now made his admirers and critiques alike to agree that he was far ahead of his time.

Extolling Nkrumah’s philosophies at the colloquium were prominent intellectuals, veteran freedom fighters, activists and leaders, including President John Atta Mills of Ghana; President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal; the Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission, Dr Erastus Mwencha; Prof. Isaa Shivji, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Research Chair in Pan-African Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam; Horace Campbell, veteran pan-Africanist/peace activist and professor of political science and African American studies at Syracuse University, New York; and Dr. Yao Graham of the Third World Network. Also present were leaders of African decolonization movement and contemporaries of Nkrumah, prominent amongst whom was 93 year old Kenneth Kaunda, the leader of the Zambian independence movement and first president of Zambia.

Kenneth Kaunda on the Nkrumah Method of Liberation
Kenneth Kaunda, the author of the popular book "Zambia Shall be Free," a personal friend and contemporary of Nkrumah reflected on what he called the “Nkrumah method of liberation,” and pointed out its relevance in the fight against Africa’s numerous contemporary problems. When Ghana gained its independence in 1957, Nkrumah asserted that Ghana’s independence was meaningless unless the entire African continent was free from colonial shackles. Kaunda narrated how Nkrumah led the Pan-African agenda to give assistance to freedom fighters across the continent. This approach was instrumental to the decolonization of Zambia and the entire Africa. The imperative of this Nkrumah method in confronting Africa’s problems in the 21st century cannot be overemphasized.

President Kaunda made a passionate plea for African leaders and peoples to confront Africa’s contemporary challenges, including the scourge of HIV/AIDS, with the collective approach of Nkrumah. Kaunda punctuated his speeches with inspiring songs of liberation, including one that Nkrumah had taught them: Forward Ever. He emphasized the centrality of women’s emancipation to the goal of Africa’s development, and charged present and future leaders of Africa with the task of learning from the strengths and weaknesses of past generation for the realization of the ideals that Nkrumah and Africa’s freedom fighters stood for.

President Abdoulaye Wade and Pan-Africanism
As a student leader, President Abdoulaye Wade was influenced by the intellectual and Pan-African thoughts of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Wade has since remained an Nkrumaist and Pan-Africanist in his own right. What stood out about President Wade at the colloquium was his vocal stance on African unity and his efforts to popularize African unity among young people. Wade came to the colloquium with a large contingent of Senegalese youths, who seemed to be very enthusiastic about the ideas of Kwame Nkrumah. Wade’s approach in this regard is commendable as it reflects an attempt to bridge the historical dichotomy between Francophone and Anglophone Africa created by colonialism. As chair of the session on “Ideas and Vision” on Monday May 24, President Wade declared his full support for preserving the ideas and vision of Kwame Nkrumah. He personally called on African leaders to do more to popularize the Pan-African vision and ideas of Nkrumah, and to ensure the actualization of the goal of continental integration for the benefit of the peoples of Africa.

Nkrumah and the New Scramble for Africa
The contemporary relevance of Nkrumah’s idea – that only a united Africa would be able to resist foreign manipulations and balkanization – was reechoed by Dr. Yao Graham. In his paper, “Nkrumah’s Development Vision and the New Scramble for Africa,” Dr. Graham pointed out that the present competitive thrust of world powers and emerging economies into the continent reflects a new scramble for the continent and its resources. Nkrumah had advocated a collective economic and foreign policy that would leverage Africa’s position in world affairs and global political economy. And there is no better time for Africa to embrace Nkrumah's recommendations. Nkrumah warned against the formation of economic blocs by African states with their former colonial masters. Dr. Graham particularly pointed out the economic sabotage and anti-integration effects of African states’ economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with Europe. The terms of agreement of these EPAs negate the goal of regional integration on the continent. Many of these EPAs support open integration, which is championed by external actors and meant to integrate Africa into globalization in a manner that undermine trade and economic integration among African states. Translating into action Nkrumah’s idea of continental unity and integration is indispensable in Africa’s struggle against the new scramble for the continent.

The Scientific Dimension of Pan-Africanism in the 21st Century
As pointed out by one speaker at the colloquium, “the real roots of Pan-Africanism lay in the bottom of the slave ships where Africans were packed.” Through Pan-Africanism, Africans at home and in the Diaspora have struggled to assert their human dignity and promote their culture and knowledge system, even in the face of the use of pseudo-science to justify the inferiority of the African personhood. In his paper, “Towards an Africa without Borders in the 21st Century: The Inspiration of Kwame Nkrumah,” Professor Horace Campbell illuminated the challenges to Africa’s liberation in the 21st century that necessitate the consideration of the scientific dimension of Pan-Africanism. Africa's numerous challenges do not respect the artificial borders drawn by the colonizers. For Africa to transform, and for the continent to maintain the dignity of the African personhood in the 21st century, we must consider the promotion of scientific endeavors as an integral part of Pan-Africanism. Phenomena such as global warming, the development of alternative sources of energy, and the use of scientific knowledge to preserve planet earth and advance the goal of shared humanity require the reconceptualization of old forms of knowledge and the promotion of aspects of African knowledge system that have been downgraded for centuries. Africa must not remain on the sideline of scientific advancement.

In the present era of genetic perdition and attempts by some scientists to produce superhumans and designers babies, there should be well trained scientist from Africa to raise questions about the future of the black race and humanity in general. Nkrumah was engaged with the development of human resources for solutions to societal problems. The 21st century Pan-Africanist must recognize the importance of science and the centrality of the development of African knowledge system to the goal Africa’s transformation.

African Youths, Nkrumaism, and the Future of the Continent
The centenary colloquium commenced on May 22 with a youth summit on the topic, “The Grand Debate: Continental Government Now or in the Future?” The youth summit produced a communiqué which was presented to the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Erastus Mwencha, by the Secretary of the All Africa Students Union, Abdul Karim Hakib. In the communiqué, the youths who were drawn from the Diaspora and the Eastern, Western, Northern, Southern, and Central regions of Africa embraced the Pan-African idea of Nkrumah. They acknowledged that “a Union Government (for Africa) as a vehicle for the socio-political and economic development of the continent is imperative and long overdue.” They called upon African governments to take urgent steps towards the realization of a continental Union Government and for the implementation of the numerous charters and protocols that promote continental integration, especially the African Youth Charter. After presenting the communiqué to Dr. Mwencha, Abdul Karim Hakib made a passionate plea on behalf of African youths for the availability of books by Nkrumah to African youths. This plea was very significant given the contemporary relevance of Nkrumah’s philosophy and ideas as far as continental integration is concerned. Indeed, if all African youths could embrace Nkrumah’s humanist and Pan-African ideas, the future of continental unity would be much brighter.

Hope beyond the African Liberation
“There is hope; continue and finish.” This was the admonition of Ambassador Thompson Doddly, a contemporary and friend of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, to the younger generation of Africans. This hope was what I saw as I sat with other Africans from home and the Diaspora to celebrate the African Liberation Day and wreath laying ceremony in honor of the deceased African liberation fighters at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park on Tuesday May 25. The journey of Africa's liberation has been tough. Despite the numerous challenges, some progress has been made. President Kaunda laid a wreath on behalf of Africa’s past freedom fighters while current African leaders such as and Ghana’s Vice President Dramani Mahama and Erastus Mwencha of the African Union laid theirs on behalf of the people of Ghana and Africa. Abdul Karim Hakib laid a wreath on behalf of African youths. This was a significant moment that symbolizes the confluence of the past, the present, and the future of Africa. The philosophies of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah remain relevant to the present and future transformation of Africa. The hope for the translation of these philosophies into practical reality lies with the younger generation of Africans. The baton is being passed.

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Wilson Idahosa Aiwuyor is a student of International Relations. He is a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School of Princeton University. He could be reached at aiwudaho@gmail.com.