Democratizing Hypocrisy: The Nigerian Dilemma with Elections By Collins Opurozor
In every democratic society, elections are the cornerstone upon which governance is built. It is through this process that citizens choose their leaders, secure their rights, and ensure the integrity and sustainability of state institutions. However, in Nigeria, the reality post-election suggests a disturbing trend that undermines the very essence of democracy.
This trend, which can aptly be described as “democratizing hypocrisy,” manifests itself when politicians and political parties conveniently applaud the electoral process when it favors them, but cry foul when they are on the losing end. The recent Edo State Governorship Election, as well as the Imo State Local Government Elections, vividly illustrate this phenomenon.
In Edo State, the 2024 governorship election was fiercely contested between the two major political parties, namely the APC and the PDP. Both camps lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the campaigns, declaring their faith in the transparency of the process. However, after the results were announced, and the losing party found themselves out of power, their narrative swiftly changed. What was once a “well-organized and transparent” process became a “fraudulent and compromised” one. This turnaround exposes a deeply rooted culture of selective justice, where the integrity of elections is judged solely by the outcome, not by the process itself.
This pattern is not unique to Edo State; it played out similarly in the recent Imo State Local Government Elections. Some candidates, particularly those who had lost their bids for chairmanship positions, decried the electoral process, alleging all manner of widespread irregularities. Yet, in most instances, the processes that threw up these opposition characters as candidates were effectively dubious, or even purely criminal. In Edo State, eight governorship aspirants in the PDP were humiliated out of the very skewed nomination process.
The serving Deputy Governor was impeached for daring to contest. Aspirants who had purchased forms were not even allowed anywhere close to the venue for the primaries, where the coronation ceremony of Dr. Asue Ighodalo as governorship candidate was taking place. Ighodalo and his band of democratic coupists had celebrated their maneuverings when it favoured them. They also went to church to thank God for giving them victory.
This contradiction highlights a disturbing irony in Nigerian politics: politicians only recognize fairness when they are the beneficiaries. As such, elections, rather than being a means of strengthening democracy, become tools of self-interest.
The hypocrisy at play here does more than expose political inconsistency; it erodes the very foundation of public trust in the electoral system. When politicians undermine institutions like INEC, ISIEC or security agencies in the aftermath of a loss, they in earnest tell their supporters that these institutions should be undermined and possibly destroyed. Conversely, their sudden approval of the same institutions when they win sums up the reality of this hypocrisy, where credibility is no longer tied to institutional integrity but rather to personal gain.
One political party called APGA in Imo State spoke yesterday through someone who described himself as their state chairman, saying that the LG elections in the state were fraudulent, and that democracy had been raped. Interesting! What could be more fraudulent than a so-called state chairman who has no tenure of office, who has no single line in his party’s constitution that supports his existence as chairman, and who has long been disowned and de-recognized by his own party’s national leadership? Democracy is about constitutionalism.
If our anti-graft laws were to be applied, such a person should be explaining to the authorities how much he stole from innocent APGA aspirants whom he had beguiled into believing he would make them chairmanship and councillorship candidates.
This selective indignation not only damages Nigeria’s democratic fabric but also leads to heightened political tensions and post-election violence, or even anarchy.
To build a truly democratic society, political actors must rise above this hypocrisy. They must learn to respect the electoral process in its entirety, win or lose. Indeed, every democratic election should be open to interrogation. However, by consistently questioning the credibility of elections only when it is convenient, politicians undermine the confidence of the electorate and invite a culture of perpetual distrust and political apathy. Nigeria cannot afford this, especially as it continues its journey toward democratic maturity. The democratic space must be nurtured with consistency, transparency, and fairness that transcends political affiliations.
The experiences from the Edo State Governorship and Imo State Local Government Elections should serve as a wake-up call for Nigeria’s political elite. Democracy is more than winning an election—it is about accepting the will of the people, irrespective of the outcome. Genuine democracy thrives when political players acknowledge and respect the process, not only when it favors them but even when it doesn’t.
As Nigeria moves forward, it is crucial for political actors to put the nation’s interest first by ensuring that they build institutions that all citizens can trust. Only then can the country move away from the dangerous path of democratizing hypocrisy and toward a future where democracy is upheld for the benefit of all.
