In exactly 31 days, Nigerians expect to cast their votes for either Goodluck Jonathan, sitting president, or Muhammadu Buhari, former military head of state. If INEC does not come up with another adjustment of the elections timetable, registered voters will in April also elect their governors and state lawmakers. In theory, those who will vote will do so based on their informed assessment of the prospects of good governance in their lifetime. They will consider the strengths and weaknesses of the dominant candidates. It is expected that everyone making the voting decision will rely on some analytical framework that is written down or filed up somewhere in the brain of the voter.
The World Bank published such a framework about a decade ago calling it a good governance pyramid featuring six elements of good governance. Ibrahim Shekarau, former Kano State governor and current education minister, popularized the pyramid of good governance during the presidential election campaigns in 2011.
Although most voters in our clime do not always follow a systematic and objective process to reach the voting decision, it seems reasonable to highlight the six elements of the good governance pyramid.
Element 1: Voice and accountability.
This measures the extent to which governance is truly participatory. Such a government encourages citizens to contribute ideas that can help solve the problems confronting society. The leadership of such a government will be someone humble enough to admit that he does not know it all and therefore would welcome suggestions and ideas from people in all parts of the country. Such a government will give voice to civil society activists and non-governmental organizations to participate fully in policy formulation, implementation and monitoring/evaluation. Who is the dominant party flag bearer that fits this description?
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Element 2: Political stability.
This measures the extent to which opinion polls both among the public and the legislature favour the government of the day. In many states of the federation, the legislature does not defend the interests of the people who voted the lawmakers into office. Lawmakers do not relate well with their constituents between elections. This high level of alienation between lawmakers and the voters is attributable in part to members of the executive who turn the legislature into a toothless bulldog. This phenomenon is believed to occur at the federal level. Which of the presidential candidates is likely to allow the legislature to perform its constitutional role unfettered?
Element 3: Government effectiveness.
Measures of government effectiveness include the quality of public service in terms of efficiency and independence from official pressure. At state and federal levels it is often the case that vacancies in the public service are sold to the politically powerful and influence peddlers. This happens without the head of the executive arm of government punishing wrong-doers. Who is the presidential candidate that is likely to meet your expectations about necessary reforms of the public service machinery?
Element 4: Regulatory quality.
Today’s modern world assigns a critical role to the private sector in the conduct of government business. It is generally presumed that the government will thrive when business thrives. In this regard, business owners and managers will vote for a candidate who they believe will ensure that rules and regulations will be conducive for business. They are expected to shun a candidate who threatens to reverse the privatization of public assets.
Element 5: Rule of law.
The rule of law is a critical element in a democracy. The entire citizenry is therefore concerned about the extent to which government, its agents and the citizenry respect approved laws. Does the government treat citizens equally or differently based on their stations in life? Is there one law for the rich and one for the poor? The politically-aware citizen will vote for the candidate who can be trusted to uphold the rule of law.
Element 6: Control of corruption.
Some candidates for high office are known to have zero tolerance for corruption while others are not. In addition, approaches to fighting corruption can differ sharply. While some will follow constitutional but slow steps, others may go outside the constitution to catch and punish offenders. The alert voter will ask questions before deciding on who to support at the polls. The extent of zero tolerance for corruption is an important element of good governance.
Weneso Orogun
