Prof Udenta: Soyinka should be worried about incoming fascism by President-elect
BY BENJAMIN OMOIKE
Prof Udenta Udenta, the socio-political analyst, has condemned the “fascism” comment made by Noble Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and the “treason” comment made by the Minister of Information, Lai Muhammad.
Engaging intellectually with the Arise TV presenter, Prof. Udenta, who happens to be the founding National Secretary for the Alliance for Democracy, was asked how alive Nigerian politics was at the moment with hopes and people waiting for the court judgment; ethnic tensions and if, this was a momentous political moment in Nigeria.
“A momentous political moment means that our democratic practice is alive. I don’t know whether it is healthy; because to live doesn’t mean to be in a healthy form. You talk about momentous events and you talk about narratives and counter narratives; protest and counter protest; accusations and counter accusations; these are signs of the vibrancy of a tradition, but whether it is a sign of a vibrant decay of that tradition, vibrant decomposition on the post colony, only time will tell. What I can say for sure, is that there is always a noted tension, between constitutional governance and democratic practice.”
He further explained that the constitution is a text that guides virtually everything we do and the practice is what is derived from the text. The professor asserted firmly that when the lives live by the people is at variance with the constitution then conflict is noted. For instance, when an election is conducted outside the purview of the law and in a fraudulent manner, there is a gap between constitutional order and constitutional practice. He compared this with what happened at the Arab spring. He mentioned that at this stage the country is hurting and people are hurting; what it needs is an assurance by the government of the day that justice will be served.
He described Lai Muhammad’s claim of “treason” as irresponsible. Going back history lane, he recounted how in 2011, because of the loss of the incumbent President, many lives were lost and this has not happened today because Atiku Abubarkar and Peter Obi have not gone to the streets.
On Prof. ‘Wole Soyinka’s claim of “fascism” he claimed “…that he has lost his moral compass in this circumstance is equally very shocking for people like us who hold him in high esteem.”
He further stated that the beauty of democracy is the conversations, “you can’t shut down conversations.”
He was asked of his assessment of the case of the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party as presented at the Presidential Elections Tribunal.
He admitted that he was not a lawyer and would make his submission as a “thinking being”. He stated that the depth of data harnessed by the parties in their election petitions will be the biggest weight of their action in court. He further mentioned that an interim government is something that only the government of the day and the military can do. Similarly, the accusation of ‘treason’ should be treated with care.
On the position of a Senior Advocate of Nigerian and former president of the Nigerian Bar Asscoiation, Oliseh Agbakoba, who asked that the election petitions should be speedily tried before the date for the inauguration? Prof. Udenta aligned himself with the former NBA helmsman and further added a caveat that only the judiciary can do that.
Furthermore, the court attitude has been on trying to deliver a “well judgment” as against just delivering judgment. Oliseh Agbakobah, SAN, had reckoned that some issues of the issues can be resolved within seven days. He further pointed out that there will be problem if the President-elect is inaugurated whilst a pending litigation law suit is ongoing against the process that brought him. Prof. Udenta wholesomely agreed and called it a “brilliant position of law and process.”
He further suggested that for this to be possible there would have to be a tinkering with the constitution and the electoral act.
“If primaries are held in May, the previous year, and inauguration is held in May, the following year. You could have a situation where primaries are held in May and concluded by early June; and elections could be held in October. You’ll have a sufficient four-five months to complete even the Supreme Court adjudication before the May 29th swearing in.”
Again, on Prof. ‘Wole Soyinka, he said that the fascism Soyinka should be worried about the fascism that is coming. A fascism where the president-elect media team is already choking down the throat of the life of the media. Who is actually telling them to prepare for a rough ride that Buhari never even gave them.
Being a supporter of the People Democratic Party (PDP), he was asked what he thinks about the silence of the PDP in events going on around them. He mentioned that every political party has its attitude to post elections situations and the PDP has been deploying its arsenal in strategically going for the election petitions. For the past two weeks, the party has been engaged with lawyers and looking at the prospect of the tribunal. This is unlike the Labour Party that has lost the orthodox touch and has come with a form of energy and emotional zeal it carries out there.
Prof Udenta was further asked on his perspective regarding the situation of the PDP which had lost some of the states that were assumed to be its stronghold and if this place, which was clinched by the Labour Party, was added to the PDP then they should have won the elections.
“A wise pundit, or analyst, or even a scholar, of Nigerian politics and political practice will hold his breath, and hold his peace, and keep his gun powder dry, at this stage of this type of analysis. Post-election analysis. We’re not even at the post-election stage but the post INEC declaration stage; we don’t know whether the premises are right or wrong.”
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He mentioned that this was the worst elections INEC has ever conducted in Nigeria and that are how some people look at it. “A sense of national embarrassment will occur if APC does well,” he had said.
Like in Greek mythology, he said that, in the context of the PDP, Prometheus, being likened to the PDP he said that a lesson has to be learnt from any debacle it. Questions like; is there conflict resolution mechanism that should be followed? Is there campaign strategy that should have been followed? Needs to be asked. However, that time has not come yet until the court ascertains who won the elections.
