His preference for law stemmed from two personalities, the late Chiefs Obafemi Awolowo and Bola Ige, whom he admitted were his role models.
But today, by providence, Prof. Michael Abiodun Oni is a professor of Research Methodology and Nigerian Government and Politics (with emphasis on Elections and Party Politics) at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State.
During the university’s thirty first inaugural lecture titled : ‘’ Conception and Misconceptions of Majoritarian Democracy And Elections in Nigeria’’, the political scientist, who said he was once the party agent of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria said his experience during the 1999 elections also convinced him that there could hardly be fairness and justice if the country continues to rely on politics of majority rule as the majoritarian democracy is sought through fraudulent means in the country.
The Esa Oke born professor and journalist, also makes the following recommendations
FEC to continue with Smart Card Reader
There is the need to continue with the use of smart card reader. Efforts must be made to construct forensic laboratory across the 109 senatorial districts in Nigeria to carry out scientific investigations on the ballot papers and the result sheets to authenticate the genuiness of the results and sheets on which they were recorded before they are announced. In the local government, chairman and councillorship elections, House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and gubernatorial elections, there is the need to carry out forensic investigation into the ballot papers and election result sheets before the announcement.
According to Oni, in the election of the president and state governors, there is the need for the exercise in the three senatorial districts across the states before the result are announced. This lecture also recommends that Nigerians should exercise patience while these investigations are going on. It is a case of justice being sought at the expense of time. It is better than spending nine months in courts proving electoral irregularities. The present situation in which political parties are saddled with hiring of forensic experts is not the best. The source of fund for this laboratory can therefore be generated from the Abacha loots and the fund recovered from corrupt politicians. We need to use these funds to preserve lives and secure lawful majority votes at elections.
Need for Federal Rotational and Zoning Commission
There is the need to establish a legislated Federal Rotations and Zoning Commission at both state and federal levels in Nigeria. This is similar to Federal Character Commission which monitors and ensures equity in employment into public services in Nigeria. It ensures that a section of the country with educational-South does not dominate employment in the public service. In the same manner, the commission too will ensure that a section favoured demographically North should not dominate the polity. The commission will ensure equity and fairness in power sharing among the geo political zones, states and local governments in Nigeria. The commission will have offices in all the states of the federation for effective monitoring.
Need for Change of Political Orientation by the Youth
Nigerian youth must have a rethink, a change of political culture, orientation and attitude towards the polity. Nigerian youths that we know in those days were those in the vanguard of political liberation. The big and everlasting and ever reverberating names in Nigeria politics today, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nanamdi Azikiwe, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Alhaji Aminu Kano, Obono Ojie, Sir Okotie-Eboh, to mention but few started their political career as students and youths. Some of these nationalists never colluded or conspired with the oppressors (Europeans) to continue to rule in perpetuity. Unlike the present days youth, who are agents in the hands of politicians to kill, maim and engage in all forms of electoral misdemeanour, Papa Awo and his co political travellers were agents of political restoration and emancipation, not the kind of youth we have today. The present day youths must see themselves as the present and future of the Nigerian state. They must work together to resist vote buying and being manipulated to engage in political violence that have claimed many lives and destroyed many properties. The youth must know that power belongs to them. They must realise that they are playing the role of tenants where they should be landlords. They can use their numbers to wrestle power from the moneybags who use them for selfish ambition. With their number, they can make mockery of the money bags and take over power perpetually.
Regard politics as a means to offer selfless service to humanity
Generally, not only the youths that require to imbibe a new political culture in the forms of attitude and orientations towards the polity but also the politicians, the godfathers and the electorate as well. Presently, the politicians and godfathers see politics as an investment in which there must be returned. Hence, today hardly can one see politicians who can claim to be in government with a purpose to serving the people’s interest or offer free service to the people. Rather, they see it as a way of making quick money to satisfy their needs and few others. In fact, the inroad and proliferation of godfathers into the Nigerian political lexicon in both theoretical and practical terms is consequent upon the fact that politics is an investment which required the services of investors who are waiting for the returns on investment.
The electorate must know that if you have been bribed by politicians to get into office, you have taken your share as the expected expenses to be spent on achieving good governance have been collected. In a country where politics is regarded as investment, you have collected your return on investment upfront. The question then is, where cometh pipe borne water, educational facilities, infrastructural development, and effective security system? But for Dasuki gate, the present threats of Boko Haram to national security would have been nipped in the bud. He had misused the money meant for fighting the menace on the re-election bid of the former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
Formulation of child bearing policy
I am also calling on those in government to formulate a national policy on child bearing per family, not per woman. This policy is necessary to curb the negative role of poverty, illiteracy and ignorance on the series of electoral violence being witnessed in Nigeria. Observations have revealed that low income earners or no income usually take joy in procreation and re-procreation in the society. The negative side of this problem is that, they won’t be able to take good care of them or give them the necessary education. The multiplier effect is the built up of generational poverty and penury. Therefore, if the number of children per family can be regulated by the state, these minimal number of children will be exposed to formal education up to higher level. Most of those available for politicians to be used to perpetuate electoral violence are the freely donated children who are not cared for, provided with basic education and shelter by the parents. The lecture also recommends two children for a monogamous family and maximum of four for a polygamous family. Any child bearing above this ceiling must pay beyond their nose for health and education services. This is the only way to reduce high level of dependent relatives, ensure availability of job opportunities and reduction in crime rates and electoral violence.
Inter-Agency collaboration
There is the need for inter-agency collaboration between the National Universities Commission and INEC to design a postgraduate diploma in political science and public administration as minimum requirement for would-be candidates for both elective and appointive positions in Nigeria. The non-performance of many politicians in the two arms of government is that they are not aware of the role of the state and government to the citizens, rights, duties and obligations of both the rulers and the ruled, qualities of the leaders and followers, the role of public administrations, functions of the executive, legislature and judiciary, principles of separation of powers and justifications, theories and practice of public administration, welfare administration, elections, types of election and importance of electoral politics. Without a deep and combined knowledge of both politics and administration, it will be difficult for a novice in government to offer good governance. This is because they lack the understanding of the concepts and attributes of good governance. It is therefore recommended here that there must be compulsory education in even at diploma level in political science and public administration.
Conduct of elections on week days
It is recommended that INEC should conduct elections on week days to allow members of Adventist denomination as a church to participate inviting exercise. It is unfair to exclude a church with over 249,207 members (as of June, 2018) in Nigeria from voting. This will not only boost voters’ turnout during the elections in Nigeria, but also promote politics of inclusiveness. One of the reasons I have not joined the Adventist Church is that I cannot afford not to vote on election days and elections are on Saturdays. Since the Joint Admission Matriculation Board now conducts examination on week days, INEC no longer has excuse to hold on to Saturday to conduct elections in Nigeria.
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