A voyage to nowhere…

DEMOCRACY is widely defined in Nigeria as “government of the people, by the people for the people” but for the purpose of this article, I will tag along with a widely more accepted definition of Linz and Stepan’s which is operational and assumes that (i) a sufficient agreement has been reached about political procedures to produce an elected government; (ii) a government comes to power as a result of free and popular elections; (iii) the newly elected government de facto has authority to generate new policies; and (iv) the executive, legislative, and the judiciary does not have to share power with the other bodies de jure. Hence, when all these conditions are met and work as one, the outcome is democracy being established and consolidated.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) as a party, which now controls the central government, still goes about politicking like a party desperately seeking for control and power.

The inordinate ambition and unchecked desperation by the APC to take over Akwa Ibom State has done nothing but unnecessarily unsettle the polity and contradicts the aforementioned definition of democracy.

The Justices at the Tribunal are humans and are not insulated against public perception manipulation through crafty and pre-emptive messaging across various news platforms on which the APC’s practice of propaganda is hinged to shape public opinion.

Such antics are also to whip up sentiments in its favour and a “moral” ground to cry foul if the pronouncement was unfavourable. Also, most coincidental is the pre-tribunal predictions, analysis and features in the media which often end true to the script.

This is also an indictment on the bench as it is found wanting of complicity in the miscarriage of justice and stifling the political will of the good people of Akwa Ibom State.

In the last six (6) months or there about, Governor Emmanuel Udom has truly transformed the State, his feats and achievements have earned him accolades across the country.

He has brought smile to the faces of everyone in the state, at every inch of the state, the impact of government and dividends of good governance is felt.

Through his style of leadership and sincerity of purpose with which he had taken responsibilities, he has lived up to the true meaning of his name “Emmanuel,” which is “God with us.”

God is really with the people of Akwa Ibom in Emmanuel Udom.

What can be said to have happened when they voted overwhelmingly for Governor Emmanuel Udom as their governor and what will happen when the absurdity of justice is thrown out at the Appeal Court is, and will be in line with the definition of Linz and Stepan’s; the new government in the last six (6) months saw to the establishment and consolidation of democracy in the state.

• Obong wrote in from Calabar