Questioning A Politician’s Fitness To Hold Office: Different Strokes For Nigerian And South African Lawmakers
There is no denying the fact that Nigeria and South Africa are regional powers in Africa as a continent. Thus, Nigeria and South Africa are recognized as the most influential states in Sub-Saharan Africa. This derives both from their economic prowess on the continent and from the roles they have elected to play within their sub-regions and on the continent as a whole.
Without sounding exaggerative in this context, Nigeria was commonly referred to as being the ‘Giant of Africa’ ostensibly for its large size and massive population. In addition, the country is a ‘treasure trove’ of natural resources. As of 2014, its economy is the largest in Africa as measured by Gross National Product (GNP). For the sake of clarity, GNP is the total value of all finished goods and services produced by a country's citizens in a given financial year, irrespective of their location. GNP also measures the output generated by a country's businesses located domestically or abroad.
In the same vein, Nigeria’s powers and influence are also reflected in its military capabilities, which were in the past deployed for peacekeeping operations around the continent and for extra-African engagements by the United Nations on many occasions, and is the largest military among the states in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Similarly, South Africa emerged from the shackles of apartheid in 1994 as a relatively economically buoyant country. With its advanced infrastructure development, vast mineral wealth and diversified economic base, South Africa was long considered the leading economy on the continent, even with a smaller population (53 million estimated in 2013). In addition, with the global goodwill generated from the country’s successful emergence from white-minority rule into a democratic state, South Africa has been able to exert its influence and play a leadership role, not only in the Southern Africa sub region but also on the continent and globally. While Nigeria’s economic growth and development may not rank among the top economies globally, the country’s economy has remained the biggest in the West African sub-region for decades. In comparison with others in the sub-region, the various economic indicators place Nigeria on the highest rung of the ladder. South Africa’s case in Southern African sub-region is even more pronounced.
Unfortunately, beyond comparison, when it comes to political maturity as regard the selection and election of good leaders into political offices in the bid to ensure good governance for the people, evidences abound that South Africa is far ahead of Nigeria as its citizens are wont to eschew primordial sentiments to a tolerable extent. The reason for the foregoing cannot be farfetched as it seems the electorates are adequately enlightened and educated on the need to always support and vote for good candidates, unlike in Nigeria where the tendency is to campaign and vote for a candidates that are obviously not morally fit and healthy enough to become leaders. You would ask why, they will ask you who do you expect them to campaign and vote for when the better candidates are not ethnically, politically and religiously affiliated to them. The reason for the foregoing line of thought cannot be farfetched as political followers, due to the expediency of what they will get in support of their stomachs, no longer see Nigeria’s economy as the bigger picture, and more important than what they would eat or gain. They are unarguably more concern about the handouts and memorabilia that cut across fez caps, wrist bands, and bottles of beer, and to a large extent political appointments a political aspirant will give to them for rallying behind him ahead of a crucial election than the values such candidate would add to the development of Nigeria. They get engaged in this retrogressive partisan politics without being cognizant of the fact that such egoistic political move is undeniably destructive enough to mess up the economy, and to a large extent; the collective wellbeing of Nigerians.
In fact, a video currently circulating online has the voice of the former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, saying that "It's a very stupid statement to say that I'm going to vote for someone I know will be a disaster but I think he'll win" speaks volume on how Nigerians promote and project incapable leaders. When the academic and professional background of such leaders are impugned, their supporters will defensively ask in pidgin “Who nor dey forge result?” Similarly, when the veracity of his or her age is queried, they would retort “How him age come concern you now?” As if the foregoing defensive deportments are not enough, when his or her health status is brought to question, supporters of such candidate will say he’s been brought to ridicule, and in a partisan attitude ask, “Na who nor dey sick? If the truth must be told, particularly from the perspective of Donald Duke’s trending video that is about to go viral, it is enough to say that Nigerians are no longer seeing the consequences and disaster an obviously incapable and unhealthy candidate will do to the nation’s economy when given the opportunity to become a leader whose competence or incompetence will go a long way in impinging on the collective destinies of Nigerians, as can be seen in the performance of the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari for the past 7 years how he has literarily changed the economy and the unity of the country into “something else”. I’m not angry about it because he forewarned us in 2014, ahead of the 2015 general election that he will make a change when voted to become the president of Nigeria. If I may ask, “Has he not fulfilled his promise of making a change?” Be it positive or negative change. Methinks he has brought the change we asked for. At this juncture, is the level of change we’ve been experiencing not enough for Nigerians to learn from, and know who to vote for among all the 18 presidential candidates that would be contesting for at the 2023 election?
To my view, Nigeria will rise again only if Nigerians, particularly the electorates will hearken to Donald Duke’s clarion call that “It’s better to vote a competent candidate and they don’t win than voting an incompetent one because you feel he or she will win. Voting the right candidate is not a waste even if the person loses the election. It’s a new nation we seek to build guys. Let’s do it together!!! #election #2023 #nigeria.”
However, in South Africa, it is a different ball game, or better put, different strokes for different folks.
For instance, since on August 5, 2022 on Friday, the virtually every online newspaper in Southern African continent have been agog with the news that an independent panel will investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa’s fitness to hold office, after speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula endorsed a motion brought by the African Transformation Movement (ATM) on 14 June, 2022.
As widely reported, the ATM proposed the motion in terms of section 89 of the Constitution on the removal of the president.
In a letter addressed to the ATM leader, Vuyo Zungula, dated 5 August, the speaker states: “As you are aware, processes and procedures of the national assembly are governed by the Constitution, the rules and established practice. The procedures to give effect to a section 89 enquiry on Removal of the President is outlined in Rules 129A-Q.”
“According to section 89 (1) of the Constitution, a president may only be removed if they have committed a serious violation of the Constitution or the law, in the case of serious misconduct on behalf of the president or the president is unable to perform the functions of their office.
“As gathered, the ATM filed a complaint against Ramaphosa to the public protector in June about the burglary at his Phala Phala game farm in 2020.
“Ramaphosa missed an extended deadline to reply to questions from the public protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, regarding the burglary. An investigation will take place as to whether he defied the executive ethics code.
“The investigation stems from a complaint filed to the public protector last month by Zungula. The public protector has since received three further complaints, one filed by the Democratic Alliance and two by members of the public.
“In June, Mkhwebane confirmed that an investigation would follow, one day before she was suspended by Ramaphosa, pending the outcome of parliament’s section 194 inquiry into her fitness to hold office.
“Ramaphosa has denied suggestions by Mkhwebane and his political foes that it was an act of retaliation and has given assurances that the investigation will be conducted without fear or favour.
“Mkhwebane faces a section 194 inquiry into her fitness to hold office”.
If I may ask, is it possible for a similar legislative processes to place in Nigeria? Your guess is as good as mine.