Violence should not be a component part of democracy, and once it starts being very visible in any democratic setting, such democracy starts being endangered.
Democracy revolves around the Rule of Law, and that guarantees decency in its operation. Democracy, by its operational etiquette, is not for brutes and hooligans. It is designed for people with a refined organizational mindset and concept.
Nigeria’s current democracy which, so far, is the longest in her annals of history, was cautiously and systematically extracted from the coercive grip of the Nigerian Military in 1999, a struggle that took about sixteen years before it yielded the desired results.
Politicians in Nigeria should have to play by the rules. The least they must have to adhere to is observance of the Rule of Law. Once they start disregarding or ignoring the Rule of Law, it could lead to digging a grave for democracy.
The violence being witnessed in Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Intra Party Violent Crisis, is not a good omen. It can not sustain the tenets of democracy.
If the waring factions in the Party continue in the way they conducted themselves today at the Party’s National Headquarters, WADATA PLAZA, in Abuja, such violent conduct could become very injurious to Nigeria’s contemporary democracy.
Equity Global Reporters Ltd is worried by this unhealthy primitive development. It would be ironical if PDP which Leaders, led by late Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, worked assiduously, even to the extent of subjecting their lives to risky confrontation with the Military in order to restore democracy, would now conduct themselves in such an unholy manner that democracy could be subjected to threat.
Therefore, Equity Global Reporters Ltd strongly urges that the belligerent Leaders in PDP should, in the protective interest of Nigeria’s democracy, sheath their swords. What Nigeria needs from her Political Leaders now that the country is experiencing devastating insecurity from Fulani Islamist terrorists, a situation that has portrayed the country in a ridiculous context, is not, in the least, Intra Party Combativeness.
Sir Don Ubani is a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Abia State, and Publisher, Equity Global Reporters Ltd.
