DEVIL’S RECTANGLE 3: THE COMPLACENT ELECTORATE
“O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Apostle, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Apostle, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination.”(Quran 4:59)
By Babatunde Jose
Islam makes no sharp division between sacred and secular affairs; it expects governments to be imbued with righteousness. Likewise, Islam expects Muslims to respect the authority of such government for otherwise there can be no order or discipline. This however, applies more to a theocracy than to a modern nation-state.
This is the bane of religious precepts in a secular environment. It is argued that it is not in consonant with participatory democracy and the qualities desired from followers in modern nation-states.
This is the origin of the proverbial docility, acquiescence, and unquestioning acceptance of leadership and the rankadede syndrome, an unquestioning obeisance of leaders. The above verse of the Quran notwithstanding, recent developments in seemingly Islamic states tend to question this assertion.
Secondly, there is a serious misconception regarding many of the Islamic entities as caliphates where the rulers derive their authority from the Quran. Three major caliphates succeeded each other: the Rashidun Caliphate (632–661), the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750), and the Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258) which is the last. Only these qualify as Caliphates in the strict meaning of the word. All others were or are Sultanates. Sultan, an Arabic abstract noun meaning “strength”, “authority”, “rulership”, derived from the verbal noun sulṭah.
The Ottoman Sultanate (1299-1922 or an empire) was a Turkic imperial state and renowned the strongest military superpower of its time, the empire was replaced by the modern Republic of Turkey after the First World War (1914-1918). Turkey is ruled by a constitution that lays down the ground rules of engagement. Even during its apogee there were instances of protests and rebellion against its rulers. The case of the Young Turks readily comes to mind.
The ‘Arab Spring’ and other uprisings and protests in patently Islamic climes have shown that it is not religion that makes a citizen apathetic, irresponsible to his political duties and obligations; rather it is the political culture of lethargy and de-participation.
Today, women in Iran, of all places, are up in arms over the arrest of a lady for improper dressing. Unfortunately for the regime, the victim died in custody. The protest is still raging. Wahala!!!
There are also instances in the stories of the Prophet and the Caliphs of the importance of followers asking questions and making demands on their leaders.
A person cannot be a functioning member of his community if he or she lacks knowledge and wisdom. Equally a follower is expected to be courageous. According to Mohamed Yasien “courage is a quality of the soul, it’s heart’s strength against shock and composure when experiencing fear.” (Mohamed, Y. (2006); The Path to Virtue: The Ethical Philosophy of Al-Raghib Al-Işfahani: International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization, p 275)
The earliest followers in Islam were credible, honest, and courageous. Therefore, they established themselves as independent, critical thinkers whose knowledge and wisdom are dependable. Bashir bin Sa‘ad was a courageous follower during Omar’s regime. He was bold enough to tell Caliph ‘Omar that they will straighten him as they do with their arrows if he fails to properly perform his duties as a leader.
Caliph Omar said, “It is the duty of the leader and followers to listen to each other and to voice out their concern. He added, When followers do not participate and provide input, they are not contributing something useful. And we are not useful if we do not consent to their contributions.” Ali, Abbas. J. (2005), Islamic Perspectives on Management and Organization. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. P 135)
Modern nation states demand a set of qualities from followers among which are willingness to assume responsibilities, competence and self-management, efficiency, political engagement, readiness to be mobilized and lending a voice to protest bad leadership and of course, demand for accountability. Unfortunately, most of these qualities are wanting in the followership in our society.
As followers we are too timid and complacent. We do not make forceful demands on our rulers. We acquiesce and resort to self-help. We make little or no demands on our leaders for accountability and limit our complaints to rancorous discussions at the beer parlor or at social events over plates of jollof rice and Coca Cola.
In the words of Prof Wole Soyinka: “Let us begin with some collective introspection. I have become increasingly convinced that, between leadership and the led, there is only a very thin dividing line, often nearly indistinguishable. There is no question in my mind that, most often, the so-called led are their own worst enemies, even to the point of self-betrayal and treachery to their own existence. . . . .” Wole Soyinka: ‘Handshake Across History’.
Political participation includes any activity that shapes, affects, or involves the political field. Civic and political participation of the people is important to keep a functioning government and society.
Public participation, therefore, as a political principle or practice, may also be recognized as a right. … It implies that the public’s contribution will influence the decision. Public participation may also be regarded as a way of empowerment and as vital part of democratic governance. The key role of citizens in a democracy is to participate in public life.
In other climes they protest and riot over increase in the price of bread or rice, fuel and other issues that impinge on the welfare of the people. Here we are content to accept all that they throw at us with equanimity. We make little or no demands on our leaders and do not hold them responsible for our degradation.
Political apathy can be categorized as the indifference of an individual and a lack of interest in participating in political activities and it can lead to low voter turnout and stagnation in government. This has been the case in most of our elections.
Though 82 million people registered for the 2019 election, only about 28 million turned up to vote. Yet over 50% of our population are youths. Would it be higher in 2023 because of heightened interest in some quarters? ‘Videbimus ‘, we shall see!
Some voters would make up their minds on ethnic grounds which is a very powerful sentiment in Nigerian politics, only periodically overcome by other considerations. We have had 9 presidential elections in Nigeria since 1979. Candidates of Northern origin won on five occasions 1979, 1983, 2007, 2015 and 2019, while candidates of Southern origin prevailed on four occasions 1993, 1999, 2003 and 2011.
There is less of a crisis when both major candidates are of the same ethnicity, such as in 1999, 2007 and 2019, however, it becomes a different ball game if they are from different regions as witnessed in 2011 and 2015. That’s why 2023 promises to be interesting because a party with majority support in the North has a candidate of Southern origin while another party with majority support in the South has a candidate of Northern origin. And added to this is the rising profile of a third candidate from a third ethnic nationality.
A political factor sometimes more potent than ethnicity is religion. It is a tricky proposition because three of the four major candidates, including the top two, are of the Muslim faith. Their choice of running mates has been the driver of current political debate.
In the words of Wole Soyinka: “The ball has been kicked back to the people’s court. You have a responsibility – But, considering all that has gone before, and threatens to kill the future of this nation, you have a responsibility to go further and say, ‘Enough’ of unchangeable casts of minds whose possessors only re-cycle themselves either directly or by surrogation. It is time to disarm the entire political scene and re-arm the visionaries. The nation needs new players, new minds. It is time that a united opposition seize the bull by the horns and make a determined effort towards total transformation.”
Our National Grid has collapsed seven times this year and we experienced fuel shortage twice with localized shortages uncountable times, food prices are going through the roof and hunger and starvation promise to do us in. We are not protesting but settle for hurricane lantern when there is power failure and stew without meat or resort to the ubiquitous 010 eating formulae. We are used to the hard life.
Whoever wins the election, will continue from where the last slave master stopped. Hmmmmm, when will we leave this slave camp? It’s a question we need to answer urgently as a people. The current crop of aspirants are the same old leaders, deodorized, rejigged, recharged and re-engineered. They are not even varnished!
There is no doubt, we need to hold presidential (and gubernatorial) candidates to a higher standard than in the past based on the enormity of the tasks at hand. Therefore, as they get into the campaign groove, we should ask for much more. It is important to ask them specific questions and go through their plans with fine combs. Yes, we need to know their antecedents and examine their records. We also need to weigh their plans against current realities. – Waziri Adio
However, Mystic Mallam, a concerned commentator in This Day had this to say: Journalists should not cop out from their journalistic responsibilities to interrogate and expose the capacity of candidates to provide effective and successful leadership. They cannot abdicate their responsibilities and pass the buck to regular citizens to undertake that duty.
The above comment set the tone for the concluding part of our discourse where we will look at the role of the mass media and their bearing on participatory democracy and responsibility and accountability of political actors.
The press is the vanguard of Public Opinion. It is the molder of opinion and the purveyor of people’s feelings. Where the press is silent and fails to be the barometer of public opinion, then the collective Voice of the people is attenuated and silenced.
Equally, where the press abdicates its constitutionally given role and decides to go into bed with the oppressors then the people are finished. I pray this is not where we are today. Most of the so-called mass media are on the ringside of one political party, candidate or the other. The people have been rendered into a permanent condition of shut up!
Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend
