When All Eyes Were On The Masses

By Godfree Matthew, Esq.,

INTRODUCTION

The recent psychological assault on the judiciary as reflected on bill boards, placards, bags and social media handles with the tag ‘all eyes are on the judiciary’, was greeted in many quarters as a welcome development. However, there are others who view that as an attack on the independence of judiciary. To those who support the hashtag ‘all eyes are on the judiciary’, they are prompted by the outcome of the 2023 election, which in their views was not free and fair. Ideally, the ‘all eyes are on judiciary’ movement could have been a pure political agitation against the outcome of the 2023 election. However, the current economic horror bedeviling the country has given the movement another dimension. At the onset of the ‘all eyes on the judiciary’ movement, Nigerians view that as political propaganda by supporters of PDP and Labour Party. To those in APC, as far as politics is concerned they retain political power, Tinubu is now the President, and if you are not satisfied, ‘go to court’. But certain factors later changed these narratives. The fuel hike, the depreciation of Naira in global market and the soaring inflation are beginning to dawn on the masses, irrespective of their political affiliations. Thus, the Atikulated, Batified and Obidient Nigerians are all united victims of the unfriendly economic policy of Tinibu’s administration, except the benefiting politicians.

To cap it all, while Nigerians are wallowing in this economic abyss, the government elected to ‘propagate’ democracy in Niger Republic. Thus, Nigeria who was once a giant of Africa, now became a ‘giant’ of West Africa, and decided to head the ECOWAS campaign to dethrone coup plotters in Nigeria. This is contrary to the general view that while Nigeria is yet to combat with internal security challenges in its territory , nevertheless , it wants to be altruistic towards outsiders. The renewed killings in Plateau, Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara and other parts of the country are still ongoing, yet the government elected to go and restore democracy in Niger Republic. At this juncture one wonders why is Tinubu electing to lead an attack in Niger Republic, a prospective alternative retirement home of former President Muhammadu Buhari?

Just some days ago, the Nigerian Airforce lost the 33 soldiers to bandits in Niger State, yet our government is bending on going to Niger Republic to restore democracy. Niger State and Niger Republic are the recent paradoxes in discourse of our national security. While the Governor of Niger is soliciting for President Tinubu to make peace with bandits in his territory, the President elect to ‘enforce’ section 19 of the Constitution to the effect that, ‘West Africa is the center-piece of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy’. Thus, less attention is given to national security issues at home, while more attention is given to external security of democracy in Niger Republic.

The Hypocrisy of Nigerian Masses

From the onset of this year when Buhari, and Godwin Emefiele ushered Nigerians into hardships, only few Nigerians complained and even demonstrated. Most demonstration was from Southern Nigeria. A certain segment of the country was mute. Even when Buhari handed over the hot baton of democracy to President Bola Tinubu, and Tinubu started running his part of the relay , there was a kind of ‘let’s give him chance’ condonation by Nigerian masses. He increased fuel and increased school fees, yet there was no hunger in some part of Nigeria. But when Tinubu declared intention to lead ECOWAS team to invade Niger, the masses of the North that have been on recess for over 8 years returned from their sabbatical and started chanting anti-Tinubu songs. Recently, Niger Citizens in Kano are protesting against Tinubu. The question to ask is where were these masses over the years? It is the answer to these questions that prompt this article as “When all eyes are on the masses”.

There Were Times When the Voices of the Masses Matter

If there was a time when masses were united in Nigeria, to bring a government that they dreamt of, was June 12, 1993 under the Hope mandate in which Abiola was declared President Elect. Religion and ethnic affiliations were not given consideration at that time. The electoral umpire admitted that it was a free and fair election. However, that hope was truncated by military regime.

Another instance was 2015 General election that brought in President Buhari. During that Election masses were united across religious divides, they were magnetted by the delusion that Buhari is one of them, and Goodluck was weak and lacking in leadership traits. As such Nigerian masses saw Goodluck Jonathan as Mr Jones of Manor Farm. Just like all animals were united in overthrowing Mr Jones of Manor Farm, so were Nigerian masses united in overthrowing Goodluck and PDP from political power.

How the Masses Started to Compromise

But soon after, a year into Buhari Administration, just like in the pigs dominated the leadership appointments in Animal Farm, that was how Buhari’s administration was dominated and manipulated by the Northern Nigerians with nepotism and fanaticism, thereby setting the Northern masses against other masses from other part of the countries. Thus, the masses were divided. The elites succeeded in severing the umbilical cords of the ‘Siamese masses’ of Nigeria using religion and ethnicity. Thus, anti-people policies under Buhari that ought to bring the masses together from the North and South didn’t reflect during Buhari’s Regime. The masses in the North saw nothing wrong with Buhari’s regime for them to join their fellow in South. There were rare instances of protest against the anti-masses policies of Buhari’s Regime by some States in the North. Thus, while the South protested, the Northern masses elected to play the Ostrich.

It is ironic that despite the loyalty of the Northern masses to President Buhari, they were the worst hit. They were bequeathed negative indexes in education, poverty, insecurity and malnutrition by the Buhari Administration when compared with Goodluck’s regime.

Even some ‘learned masses’ from the North saw nothing wrong with some of Buhari anti-laws’ policies. For example, when Onnoghen was sacked via unlawful processes, the Nigerian Bar Association, under the leadership of Paul Usoroh, SAN, directed lawyers to boycott courts’ sessions, while there was compliance and protest by the lawyers in Southern Nigeria, the case is different in the North. In some Northern States lawyers went to court in solidarity to Buhari. When Buhari said that National security supersedes rule of law, some ‘learned masses’ in the North still exercised their freedom of opinion in support of Buhari. Thus, what Buhari was not able to do during military junta to Nigerian lawyers, he succeeded as a civilian leader. Buhari succeeded in dividing the ‘learned masses’ ‘when all eyes were on them” to defend the independence of the judiciary.

Also, when Ibrahim Dasuki suffered prolong incarceration by Buhari, there was no protest in the name of rule of law. Even when the court set him free and the Buhari government refused to release Dasuki, there was no solidarity protest from the masses, perhaps, because Buhari was ‘impeccable’ in the eyes of the Northern masses. When Northern Elites like Shehu Sani, Aisha Yesufu, Sheikh Nuru Khalid and others, criticized Buhari’s government, they were tagged by the masses as anti-North for criticizing Buhari’s regime.

Masses and the Second Tenure Of Buhari

When the 2019 General Election came, ‘all eyes were on Nigerian Masses’ to change their fate. Two options were presented to them; the choice between Atiku Abubakar and Muhamadu Buhari. Yet, the masses preferred the second term of misgovrnance with Buhari. In North, the cult of loyalty to Buhari was so strong among the masses that they never saw anything wrong in whatever Buhari does. The only yardstick to gauge the wrong doing of Buhari is whether the wrong Buhari did was more than that of President Olusegun and Goodluck Jonathan. This propaganda was constantly propagated via the use of the cliché “previous administration”, championed by the Trio of Garba Shehu, Femi Adeshina, and, the Cicero of Buhari’s regime, Lai Mohamed. Thus, at that time if one observed that Nigerians are killed by terrorists in Northern Nigeria, the answer one will get from Buhari Media Soldiers was something like this, “More Northerners were killed in previous administration than under Buhari’s regime”.

The second tenure of Buhari was the most anti-masses regime in Nigeria. In January of 2023, Buhari regime led to hike in fuel price and scarcity of fuel. While there was protest against that increased in the South, in the North there was fasting on protest. The peculiar irony of the Northern masses under Buhari was that they mourned in silence and wait for the Southern masses to tell the world about their plights. While in the South they can cry out, in Northern Nigeria religion and ethnicity was deployed to stop the masses from protesting against Buhari. Karl Marx, theory of religion as opium of the masses found perfect reflection among the Northern Masses. That’s was why late Professor Bala Usman got it right when he talked about manipulation of religion for political gains. The only active segment of Northern Nigeria that protested vigorously was the Shi’ite who condemned Buhari’s anti- democratic tendencies, because of the arbitrary detention of their leader, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakkzakky.

Masses and the ENDSARS Movement

During ENDSARS movement ‘when all eyes were on the masses’ of Nigeria, what happened? The Buharists were able to pitch the masses against themselves. In South there was protest that resulted in the Lekki Massacre. But in the North, two things happened. First the masses in the North were deceived that the protest was organized by Yahoo Boys who were being dealt with by Buhari’s government. However, not all Northerners queue into that propaganda. Some States protested but they did that at their own perils. In Abuja, the protest was met with counter protest by some Northern Youth who believed that it was a ploy by Southerners to bring Buhari’s regime into disrepute. The Northern Youths were alleged to have been sponsored by Nigerian security forces. In Jos the protest met with similar fate as in Abuja. This led to the declaration of curfew by the state government. However, it is important to note despite this division along ethnic divided, there was a common saga that united the masses against Buhari regime; that was the looting of the palliative. Thus, the masses in Lagos, Jos and Bauchi looted the COVID 19 palliative that was alleged to have been hoarded by their State governors. Ideally, one would have expected the masses to deploy that experience to vote for a good government and candidate devoid of religious and ethnic sentiment. However, the gullibility of the masses in Nigeria is so deep in religion and ethnicity to the extent that even if an Angel and the Devil were to be Presidential Candidates in Nigerian election, they will not win the vote of the masses based on virtue, but based on their religion and ethnicity. That’s the Nigerian Story.

Masses in the Last Days of Buhari

In the last lap of Buhari’s regime, Buhari and Emefiele gave Nigeria two parting gifts; cash crunch and increase in fuel price. At this juncture, ‘all eyes were on the masses’. The regular pattern was what transpired, the Southerners protested on behalf of the North. In the North, the protest was personal not collective, a person will be cursing Buhari in Hausa saying “ Allah Tsine wa Buhari da Emiefele”, meaning, may God cursed Buhari and Emiefiele.

When Buhari’s regime was about petering, there was another expectation as to how will the masses vote for better leadership. Thus, “all eyes were on the masses” again. To the astonishment of Nigerians, some of the masses preferred the garlic and cucumber in Egypt than the milk and honey that awaits them in the Promise Land. Since APC understood the flaws of Nigerian masses, this time around they played the joker of the Muslim/Muslim Ticket (even though with intention of frustrating the prospects of Ahmed Bola Tinubu). The same faith ticket was criticized by both Muslims and Christians alike. Nevertheless, some of the masses were deluded by the facts that Muslim/Muslim Ticket is an indication that Muslims were many in Nigeria than any other religion.

It is important to note that many Muslims did not buy the idea of Muslim/Muslim ticket in the North because of two reasons. Firstly, the Buhari experience was hard on them. Initially Buhari earned the loyalty of the masses because of his conservative and simple lifestyle which appeal to them. However, when Buhari was tested with power, he proved to Nigerian massess the meaning of the maxim ‘honores homo mutan mores’, meaning, in honour people change their attitude. Secondly, there was the option of Atiku Abubakar as better alternative. Some muslims in the North voted for Atiku. Many anti-Tinubu and Anti- Shettima Video from Northerners were viral on countdown to the 2023 election. However, against all odds,Tinubu and Shettima were declared winner of the 2023 elections on the platform of Muslim/Muslim ticket. Peter Obi the popular among the youths, and to some he, was popular among the masses too. But Obi has a major flaw. The masses in some Northern States were blinded to his political views because of cultural and religious differences. The political and religious leaders in the North were very instrumental in this political warfare against Peter Obi.

Masses and the Culture of Apathy

Larry Sabato, once said, “every election is determined by the people who show up”. This statement is a factual indictment on Nigerian masses on voter apathy. It is a statement that is sufficient for the court to take judicial notice of in convicting Nigerian masses, if political apathy is a crime. It is normal that whenever an election is approaching, ‘all eyes will be on the masses’. However, that was the time that Nigerian masses will not show up to vote. Speculative excuses were usually given, lack of trust in the electoral umpire, and sometimes anticipatory fears as rationale for voter apathy. These have been the excuses since 1999. Nigerian masses from the Eastern parts have more statistics of voter apathy. Readers who are curious to know should study the various reports on elections in Nigeria. These reports should include those of the Pre-IPOB years-so that IPOB should not be used as excuse to rationalize voter apathy. They should analyze the numbers of registered voters, the number of accredited voters and the numbers of the valid votes cast at the election. After doing that, they can come to the conclusion that voter apathy is largely experienced in the South than the North. Yet in all these, Nigerian masses are saying “all eyes are still on the judiciary?”

To cap it all, the election was held and Ahmed Bola Tinubu was declared winner. The same faith ticket has produced the President of Nigeria. Ironically, when President Tinubu was declared winner, there was no celebration in some States who were claiming to be advocates of same faith Ticket for Tinubu. At this juncture, one should pause to ask was the same faith ticket really meant to make Tinubu the President of Nigeria? Or was it a ploy to put sand into his political farina? Why was there no celebration in those states that propagate the same faith ticket? In all these, the man Tinubu scaled all the political hurdles and he is now a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The next popular reaction to Tinubu’s electoral victory was that the election was rigged. And the response by Tinubu’s team was ‘go to court’. The matter is now in court and a date is reserved for judgement. And now the masses and some elites are saying “all eyes are on the judiciary.”

When the Eyes of the Judiciary were on the Masses

In fairness to the judiciary, it is meant to be an impartial arbiter. It is not moved by public sentiments or propaganda. Neither does it have privilege to response to allusions or innuendos about how they will discharge its duty. They act on the law base on the premises of the facts presented before it. As such it should be excused from public propaganda.

The masses are the building blocks on any democratic society. Their voting powers have divine capacity to topple any government through civil or revolutionary means. Hence the maxim “vox populi, vox dei” meaning, the voice of people is the voice of God. It is from this prism that Abraham Lincoln remarked that, “God loves the masses more, that is why he created them more.” It is this view that inspired his communitarian definition of democracy as government of the people by the people and for the people. Thus, the masses are the major stakeholders of Nigerian democracy.

Among the three organs of government, the judiciary is the most distant from the masses and the last resort of the masses in some instances. The Legislature and the executive interfaced with the masses in political rallies and other social gatherings. Here the social contract is cemented between the masses and the legislature as well as the executive. At these gatherings the masses could either accept or declined the offers made by the legislature and executive to them. In most, if not all these interface, the judiciary is far apart and neither was it there when the transaction was made. The Judiciary only came to know the fact when it was brought before it’s for adjudication. So as the matter is presented the judiciary will then invoked the laws, examined it vis-à-vis the facts and marshal it to give its verdicts.

Therefore, ‘all eyes of the judiciary were on the masses’ whenever the matter is before judiciary for adjudications. The judiciary expects the masses to be bold and testify before the court on whether or not electoral malpractices occurred. But the same masses will allow themselves to be bought over, refused to come and testify before the court because of religious loyalty, party affiliations and tribal sentiments, and yet the judiciary should be expected to do magic? In practice, when filling Election Petition, lawyers usually have witnesses who deposed to petitions numbering 120 to 140, but as the cases proceeds super stories will start coming and petitioners will rarely leads 20 witnesses. Witnesses will be compromised and bought over and a Petitioner will be left stranded will bare pleading without persons to give lives to it. When can the masses be bold to face the truth in order to change the system? When can the masses do away with their sentiments to pursue the social justice as common goal for national development? The eyes of judiciary are on the masses that are willing and bold to testify against electoral irregularity before the court irrespective of their religious, political and ethnic affiliations. Unless the truth emanates from the masses, expecting impeccable verdict from panel of five men over a destiny of 200 million people could be a herculean or an uphill task.

Conclusion

Democracy is a populist venture where masses are supposed to have a say. It is the masses that are supposed to determine the validity of any credible democracy. Their votes are arsenal to defeat any class or group of the society. Perhaps, that was why Abraham Lincoln, having faced series of tyranny of democracy through the power of masses, said “God love the masses that is why he created them more”. And later, he is inspired to define democracy as government of the people by the people and for the people. If these views about democracy are favourable towards the masses why should all eyes be on the judiciary who are elites? If number is all that matters in democracy, judiciary is a drop in the ocean of Nigerian democracy. So when the masses did lost its political arsenal that it is now shifting eyes on the judiciary? The masses of course lost their political strength when they compromised their consciousness and identity as class of people who have the real power to determine their fate. They did that by exchanging their birthrights with the porridge of tribalism, religion, ethnicity, and instant gratifications to the baits of the political class. Thus, when the masses failed to be responsible ‘when all eyes were on them’, they should not pressure the judiciary to divide the Red Sea for them to escape from the ‘Pharaohs’ they voted.