MANDATE PROTECTON AS AN EXPRESSION OF

ACTIVE NON-VIOLENCE: The Roles of Nigerian Youth

BEING A PAPER PRESENTED
BY
AMUSAT KOLAWOLE
CENTRE FOR DISASTER AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT
(CDCM)
AND
ADEKUNLE ONAMUSI
CENTRE FOR PEACEBUILDING AND DISASTER RELIEF
(CEPADR)
ONE DAY ZONAL WORKSHOP ON YOUTH AGAINST
ELECTORAL VIOLENCE
ORGANISED BY:
CENTER FOR PEACEBUILDING AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC
RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT (CePSERD)
WITH SUPPORT FROM INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL
ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC)
HELD AT OWENA INTERNATIONAL HOTEL,
AKURE,ONDO STATE, NIGERIA.
ON TUESDAY 29TH MARCH 2011.

Introduction

Nigeria’s nascent democracy can only be sustained if only there is an effective

process of mandate protection expressed through active non-violence
approach. The conduct of elections in Nigeria has been beset by varying
degrees of problems, ranging from uncertain legal and constitutional terrain
through the outright manipulation of the electoral processes to the production
of pre-determined results. This has led to a situation where electoral contests
are seen as a do or die affair where contestants employ fair and foul means to
win. Results declared in these situations are hardly acceptable to the
opposition, and the country moves dangerously towards the precipice of
confusion and anarchy after every round of elections (TMG, 2004). Mandate
denial has featured prominently in the history of elections in Nigeria from
immediately after independence till the present dispensation. Electoral
processes are often manipulated to favour a particular candidate or party
depriving the electorates their legitimate rights to choose their
representatives. It should be noted that statutorily in Nigeria, the candidates
who win a majority of votes are considered to have won the people’s mandate
to govern but records have shown that many elected candidates have suffered
denials of such right to govern.

In situations where elected candidates have been denied such rights to

govern, they (candidates) employed various means to claim their mandates
which include violence and non violence approaches. The incessant
deployment of violence after denial of mandates has impacted negatively on
the development of the political system and is equally a threat to the country’s
nascent democracy. A typical example is in the South West Zone of Nigeria
when after 2007 General Elections, gubernatorial candidates of the Action
Congress(AC) in Osun, Ekiti and Labour Party(LP) in Ondo were denied the
rights to govern given to them by electorates in the respective states. After the
announcement of results, major towns in the states were enveloped with
violence resulting into destruction of public and private property such as cars,
buildings, infrastructures, raping of innocent persons and party loyalists, and
eventually many people lost their lives. The youth are actually fingered to be
actively involved in the perpetration of the acts – which were expression of
unacceptability of election results which confirmed denial of the candidates of
their choice. Any election where popular candidate (people’s choice for an
office) is denied the legitimate rights given to rule, it is always greeted by
destructive violence.

This paper examines the roles of Nigerian youth on mandate protection and
how best such can be achieved through active non violence.

Conceptual Clarifications
The following terms featured prominently in the paper and it is considered
important to explain them as used in the paper so that all of us will be on the
same page.
Democracy: Democracy has been said to be like motherhood; it enjoys
support from everyone and even those who pay lip service to it do not deny its
appeal (Oyediran, 2003). It guarantees citizen’s involvement in political
decision-making, some measure of equality and liberty among citizens, a
system of representation based on periodic elections and makes leaders
accountable. Democracy is thus a political system of governance that, through
a number of democratic institutions and procedures, secures its citizens a
range of civil and political liberties and regularly allows them to participate and
compete in free and fair elections. It is generally expected that candidates and
political parties campaign on their views on and solutions to policy issues and
that elected officials represent and are accountable to their constituencies
(Global Rights, 2006).

Elections: It is a formal process by which voters make their political choices

on public issues or candidates for public office. Periodic election is a major
tenet of democracy through which right to govern can be changed in a political
system. People often mistaken election for voting day which is not, it covers all
the electoral processes. In the current political era in Nigeria, elections have
taken place in years 1999, 2003, 2007 and we are approaching another one in
few days, but with low level of freedom, fairness and credibility which pervaded
the processes. A good election is however, free, fair and credible where all
stakeholders will follow strictly agreed rules guiding the process.

Mandate Denial: Election mandate involves the relationship between the

people’s votes and
the outcomes of an election; people’s votes and their participation in the
electoral process represent their giving consent to the candidates for whom
they vote to govern on their behalf (Global Rights, 2006). This is expressed in
the number of votes polled by candidates following electoral regulations, where
a candidate with majority of votes is considered to have won the people’s
mandate. Mandate Denial is therefore a deprivation of a candidate who has
won majority number of votes in an election legitimately from forming
government viz-a-viz govern through the given mandate. Mandate denial is a
common practice within the polity by a collaborative effort of electoral officials
and few other election stakeholders. It is important to state here that many of
the denied mandates have been reclaimed through adjudication processes in
the courts.

Mandate Protection: This often refers to collective activities of citizens to

ensure election stakeholders operate within the law and monitoring, exposing,
and challenging election fraud and abuse at everystep in the electoral process.
Effective mandate protection is not an individual effort or event; it is a process,
which demands ongoing communication among civil society and election
management bodies, police, political parties, and the media to air grievances
and seek remedies for electoral fraud. Its end result should be an electoral
process that is broadly credible, so that people believe their votes counted and
those elected to office truly do have the people’s mandate to govern. It should
be noted that one of the ways in which transparent and reliable elections can
be guaranteed is through mandate protection where all stakeholders including
voters at the grassroots, electoral officials, law enforcement agencies, and
government officials collaborate and coordinate expertise for the common
purpose of sustaining democracy.(Senator Iroegbu, 2010).

Active Non Violence: This explains an active civic virtue that habitually
disposes individuals, social groups, and political authorities to resist violence
through non-violent means and to resolve conflicts using peaceful methods. It
is an active virtue, in as much as it imposes a two fold obligation on its
adherents to resist violence in all its forms and to seek effective nonviolent
means to resolve conflicts.( http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G2-
3424300547.html Accessed on 26 March,2011)
Active non violence
Contrary to some beliefs, non violence is not a passive action and it takes
much courage, probably much more courage than violence. According to the
Wikipedia encyclopedia Nonviolent resistance (or nonviolent action) is the
practice of achieving socio-political goals through symbolic protests, civil
disobedience, economic or political non cooperation, and other methods,
without using use of violence. Some of the actions are meticulously planed
while others take an action that was not premeditated of a woman or man who
decides, enough is enough, someone who is fed up with status quo and decides
to challenge it regardless of the consequences, but without becoming violent
like Rossa Parks. There is a famous quote by Mary Frances Berry; ‘If Rosa Parks
had taken a poll before she sat down in the bus in Montgomery, she'd still be
standing’

The non-violence movement developed by the people of Egypt recently force

Mubarak out of office as the president to step down. Also Gandhi prepared the
ground for Great Britain to renounce its supremacy in India, though Gandhi
himself was killed by a paid assassin. Also M.L.King's struggle ended without
victory. He was assassinated in the balcony of his hotel in Memphis, while
assisting a protest which denounced the low salaries of the black people who
collected the trash. However, non violence continues to be one single strategy
of seeking justice that calls for deep commitment of masses of people to
challenge some status-quo.

It is based on six key principles:

Principle One: Non-violence is a way of life for courageous people- It is active

non-violent resistance to evil. It is aggressive spiritually, mentally and
emotionally. It is always persuading the opponent of righteousness of your
cause.

Principle Two: Non-violence seeks to win friendship and understanding - The

end result of nonviolence is redemption and reconciliation. The purpose of
nonviolence is the creation of the Beloved Community.

Principle Three: Non-violence seeks to defeat injustice, not people - Non-

violence recognizes that evildoers are also victims, and not evil people. The
non-violent resister seeks to defeat evil, not people.

Principle Four: Non-violence holds that suffering educates and reforms- Non-
violence accepts suffering without retaliation. Non-violence accepts violence if
necessary, but will never inflict it.
Non-violence willingly accepts the consequences of its acts. Unearned suffering
is redemptive and has tremendous educational and transforming possibilities.
Suffering has the power to convert the enemy when reason fails.
Principle Five: Non-violence chooses love instead of hate- Non-violence resists
violence of the spirit as well as the body. Non-violent love is spontaneous,
unmotivated, unselfish and creative; gives willingly, knowing that the return
might be hostility. Non-violent love is active, not passive, and is unending in its
ability to forgive in order to restore community. Non-violent love does not sink
to the level of the hater, Love for the enemy is how non violent activists
demonstrate love for themselves. Non-violence recognizes the fact that all life
is interrelated.

Principle Six: Non-violence believes that the universe is on the side of justice
- The non-violent resister has deep faith that justice will eventually win. Non-
violence believes that God is a God of justice.

Active non violence (ANV) would therefore not be referred to in cases where
there are some demonstrations where the demonstrators are involved in
violent exchange with the police or other peace keepers. It requires courage
not to retaliate even when the ‘enemy’ retaliates with violence. It takes time
and patience, with the belief that violence begets more violence hence peace
is the way to go non violent actions. Young people have the numbers to
demand justice through non-violent means but many times they also engage in
violence hence defeating the purpose of ANV. It normally requires meticulous
planning and commitment with a critical mass of people who are convinced of
the cause.

[1] From article, ‘The struggle continues’ by Dorothy Atemma, courtesy of

Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) website (refer and full article can be
accessed on http://www.ywli.org/struggle-continues)

Youth: The meaning of youth differs among scholars depending on the context
or usage. For the purpose of this paper, youth is a group of people in the
society who are of age with enough energy, spontaneity, impulsiveness to
carry out civic responsibilities in the society. Membership of this group cut
across various sectors and disciplines in the society and is not restricted by
age, sex, education, profession, occupation, ethnic affiliation to mention a few.
This means that the youth here referred are visible among artisans,
professionals, students, politicians, academic, etc. It helps us to concentrate on
Nigerian youth who have dispensed their energy violently in response to
mandate denials, those who have acted upon impulse to perpetrate violent
acts as an expression of mandate protection and those who have contributed
in one way or the other to manipulation of electoral processes leading to
mandate denial within the polity.

The Process of Mandate Protection

As noted earlier, mandate protection is a process like the electoral process
itself. It consists of stages such as Pre-Election, Election Day and Post Election
should be protected.
i. Pre Election Stage that needs protection:
• Delineation/Delimitation of wards, constituencies and voting centre
• Voters Registration Exercise
• Appointment of Electoral Officers
ii. Election Day
• Polling Station Checklist
iii. Post Election
• Keep tracking election results beyond the polling units
• Use election tribunals when necessary

THE ROLE OF YOUTH

Talking about the participatory role of the youth before, during and after
election, Nigeria youth must see himself or herself as a stakeholder who has
many things to lose and gain if come in April 2011 election is derailed or
successful. Therefore, he/she must submit to the rules of engagements with a
view to behavioural expectations or conducts. The need for Nigerians,
especially youths to register, select right candidates, vote and protect their
votes just remains the best option to determine the next set of leaders we
would have, but the fear remain making a right choice and ensure that the
mandate is protected. I would be right to say Nigeria youths consist of a large
number of voters in the last voter registration release by inec and the decision
by the inec chairman to use the youth corps member remain a major role in
the conduct of a free and fair election in Nigeria. We must stop singing political
hallelujah in favour of discredited aspirants who have nothing to offer us, the
electorates, apart from allocating 25% of the nation’ recurrent overheads to
themselves at the detriment of our dilapidated infrastructures and under
developed human capital. It is time for youths to stop sacrificing their future for
mere food. Avoid being used as political thugs by dubious politicians who have
their children schooling in western parts of the world The politicians due to
unemployment they have created has turned many Nigerian youths to
immeasurable weapons for election looting, political campaign violence,
election rigging and other electoral frauds that turn Nigerian politics to do or
die affair. The role of youths in nation building and credible elections
include:- active participations in an active non-violence lawful manner in
decision making especially when it comes to determining who rules the nation
realizing the fact that, youths are the future of every country. The future of the
youths can only be secured when true and patriotic Nigerians are installed into
government with the help of the teaming youth through free and fair election
not selection as we have it in the Nigerian politics. We youth must rise to
defend our mandate for democracy in this election, the will of the people must
not be not subverted by these criminal politicians who have spent their
valuable life span looting this nation, we will bear the consequence of their
deeds if we don’t stop them now.

Again, our youths must constructively engage our political leaders, the
emphasis of their demands should be centred on what they will benefit in the
future and not the peanuts that they stand to get by “take-away”, but what the
aspirant will do with the prospective public office; when the aspirant is failing,
they should constructively canvass for his or her removal to serve as deterrent
to others. Youth groups can set up cooperative societies to invest in farming
related businesses; this will make every right-thinking government to support
them.

Youths should not be deterred, because they are the leaders of tomorrow. The
time has come for the voices and votes of Nigerian youths to count. That time
is now. So all youths of voting age should come out en-mass on voting day and
perform their civic responsibilities. Youths should not be

CONCLUSION
Although it has been recognized all over the world that democracy is the best
form of government, the nature and practice of democracy has been
challenging. Some scholars have argued that democracy is a process that
needs continous refinement, strengthening and defending. The history of
democratic process in Nigeria is a chequered one. In the 50 years of Nigeria’s
post independence existence, the military ruled for about thirty years. With the
return to civil rule in 1999, one would have expected that democratic
institutions such as the legislature, election management bodies, security
agencies and the judiciary will work to strengthen and defend the nascent
democracy. Unfortunately, the institutions are weakened, compromised and
made ineffective leading to loss of franchise in Nigeria. This has placed a lot of
responsibility on the youths to promote active non-violence in expression of the
mandate protection during the 2011 election. In order to do this youth require
capacitybuilding especially in the areas of leadership, strategy, organization,
management, execution, advocacy and campaigns. Therefore, options
available to restore franchise and strengthen democracy in Nigeria include
political education, protection of electoral mandate, advocacy and campaigns,
monitoring of the electoral process, election observation and political strategy
for change.

References
Global Rights 2006. Election mandate Protection Tool Kit,

Oyediran O. 2003. Introduction to Political Science, Rashy Publication, Ibadan

Senator Iroegbu’s Speech on Electoral Mandate Delivered at a Conference on

Electoral Violence in Lagos,2010.

Transition Monitoring Group. 2004. “Divining the People’s Will” A Report of the
2004 Local Government Elections
in Nigeria.

( http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G2-3424300547.html Accessed on 26
March,2011)