Director Testifies on Democracy in Nigeria

Lloyd O. Pierson
Director, Africa Division
International Republican Institute
August 3, 1999

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to be at this hearing today. Nigeria is of strategic importance to the United States and has a major influence not only in Africa, but throughout the world. Your thoughtful attention to Nigeria is timely and appropriate.

We have expressed this before, but would like to repeat the appreciation of the International Republican Institute for you, Mr. Chairman, being also the Chairman of the IRI international election observation mission to Nigeria for the February 27 presidential election and to express our appreciation to Congressman Payne, who was an important co-leader of the delegation.

I also would like to thank several members of the staff who participated, including Tom Callahan,Les Munson, Charmaine Houseman, Charisse Glassman and Tom Sheehy, plus Malik Chaka. and Joel Starr with Congressman Campbell.

The transition in Nigeria from military to civilian democratic rule is progressing well and generally exceeding expectations. We believe President Obasanjo genuinely is interested in reform and the early indications are that he is implementing policies that will help build and sustain democracy. The optimism,however, needs to be tempered with caution.

The multi-party system is relatively weak and needs to be strengthened. We believe the National Assembly offers great hope to be a people's body. We believe all the institutions of government, as well as civil society need to be strengthened.

There are many problems in Nigeria that need to be addressed, including regional differences, and corruption that not only impact on Nigerians, but the international community.

Unfortunately, government in the past in Nigeria has been characterized more as government to benefit members of the government, rather than to be of service to the people. Hopefully, that is changing.

While cautious, IRI is optimistic. The first sixty days of the Obasanjo administration are an excellent beginning and while there are many challenges, the path Nigeria is taking seems to be the right one. I would like to share some observations with the Subcommittee.

First, some general comments. IRI believes that a multi-party system with policy dialogue and debate are the cornerstones of a democracy. Government, as we so well know, must be of, by and for the people. A healthy multi-party system with press, personal, and political freedoms provide a strong antidote to corruption, one party or one person power, and abuses of human liberty. Good governance includes the majority party, a strong opposition, a free press, a legislature representing the will of the people, a strong civil society, and a basic respect for human rights.

We recognize that every democracy may not look exactly alike, but there are fundamental truths. It is within that context that I share IRI views about Nigeria.

Prior to his inauguration, President Obasanjo held a retreat with a small group of advisers. The purpose was to map out plans for his administration. From this small gathering, it was determined that a week long conference be held in which potential cabinet members, policy advisors, party officials, and other key individuals in the administration would meet in Abuja in order for the President-elect to let them know his expectations for a civilian democracy. IRI was asked to facilitate this conference, entitled, "Prospects and Challenges for Democracy in Nigeria."

During the week-long conference, IRI asked Transparency International to address accountability and transparency issues; U.S. General James Jamerson talked about the military in a civil society, and others addressed issues relating to the functioning of institutions in a democracy. Following this conference, IRI facilitated another bipartisan conference on democracy with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the majority party. Included among the representatives from the U.S. were Beryl Roberts Burke, a Democrat state representative from Florida and Republican State Senator Raymond Haynes from California.

Senator Haynes discussed the importance of private enterprise and free markets in a democracy and Representative Burke emphasized the roles of legislators in a democracy and the need for policy reform. Both received standing ovations.

In the post-election period, IRI is preparing to have other conferences addressing anti-corruption, standards of ethics, military in a civil society, and human rights in different regions of Nigeria. We are also working with all of the parties with representation in the National Assembly --the PDP, the APP, and the AD -- in organizing at the grassroots level.

IRI did similar work with the opposition APP and AD. Our sister organization, the National Democratic Institute is providing assistance to the transition monitoring group and is working closely with the newly elected governors. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems is working with the Independent Nigeria Election Commission.

Historically, Nigeria has not had a true multi-party system. In fact, political parties have had a short life span. Generally, parties have not lasted longer than two to three years due to pressure or restrictions from military regimes. Seven years is the longest existence IRI has been able to identify a party lasting.

In October of last year, 17 parties indicated they wanted to compete in the upcoming elections; in November, nine were provisionally registered by the election commission, but as a result of the formula used in the December 5 local government elections, only three parties emerged. IRI is currently helping each of those parties to strengthen their strategic planning, build local organizations and to understand the benefits of a strong multi-party system.

Some of the major positive developments that have occurred in recent weeks include:

Anti-Corruption Efforts: The Obasanjo administration earned early praise from domestic and international audiences for suspending dubious contracts issued by the outgoing regime and removing notoriously corrupt officers from the military command. Obasanjo maintained momentum in his anti-corruption campaign by quickly crafting a comprehensive anti-corruption bill to introduce such important measures as public disclosure of assets for politicians and strong oversight measures for government contracts. Hopefully, the bill will not be weakened in the National Assembly.

The bill also creates an anti-corruption commission with strong enforcement powers. Many feel it is too ambitious and would prefer to see incremental reforms which may be less likely to spark resistance. Other groups, including many prominent democratic activists, praise the intent of the bill but are concerned that the legislation as written confers dangerous extra-judicial powers to the anti-corruption commission.

The New Budget: President Obasanjo has moved quickly to introduce fiscal discipline. His recently introduced supplemental budget covering the last half of 1999 has reduced the projected budget deficit inherited from the outgoing military regime from over $2 billion to less than $350 million.

The National Assembly: Nigeria's National Assembly has passed an important acid test. The popular House Speaker was compelled to resign in the face of allegations that he had falsified his age and academic qualifications. The ultimate resolution of the crisis must be viewed as an important victory for the future of accountable government in Nigeria. It should also be noted that the qualifications issue was first discovered by alert and aggressive journalists.

Small Improvements in Daily Life: Nigerians have begun to notice some small, but significant, improvements in every day life. The nation's fuel scarcity has for the moment ended. The citizens of this oil-rich nation are now spared from waiting in line for a day or days for a few liters of gas. The press also seems to have been emboldened by change of administration. The press led the charge in uncovering the House Speaker scandal and journalists appear to have gained new confidence and motivation from their new role in a democratic society.

These are a few of the positive developments. Besides those issues already mentioned, some of the major challenges include:

Ethnic Conflict: A recent outbreak of brutal ethnic violence in the southwestern city of Sagamu and the Northern city of Kano have highlighted the depth and persistence of ethnic fissures within Nigerian society. Fighting between Hausa's and Yoruba's in both cities has left scores dead and have forced many more to flee in fear of reprisals.

Political Intrigue: Although President Obansanjo received decisive support from the North in his bid for the presidency, many northerners feel he has favored the south in his senior appointments. Many Northerners also feel that his anti-corruption efforts and military purges are thinly veiled efforts to deprive the north of political power. Many believe that when his ruling PDP holds in national convention later this year, there will be opposition efforts to seize the chairmanship.

The Delta Crisis: With the end of military rule, the demands of citizens of the Delta have boiled over into open conflict. The major oil firms are now subject to regular raids by bands of youths and frequent abductions of employees. The government has pledged its commitment to increasing the resources devoted to development in the Delta.

Building True Federalism: The concentration of power at the center has fanned the flames of destructive political competition. Creating viable state and local governments will lessen the stakes in the national contest for power.

Diversifying the Economy: Over the long term, Nigerians will need to find ways of pursuing real economic gain outside the oil sector. The current dependence of the entire economy on this one sector, and the governments dominant role in issuing licenses and concessions, greatly contributes to the centralization of power.

The Rule of Law: The Obasanjo administration will have to hold itself to a high standard and all Nigerian will need to build a strong judiciary. Investors are unlikely to have any interest in Nigerians hard minerals, agriculture, manufacturing potential, or other sectors as long as contracts have no meaning and crimes go unpunished.

Mr. Chairman, this is just a brief summary of some of the tasks ahead. We are aware of Nigeria's history of a military governments and must remain cautious about the future. But as we sit here today, the outlook for democracy in Nigeria looks good. We believe that is the will of the majority of Nigerians.

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