The bastardisation of democracy in Nigeria has been very pronounced and from indications, it is only a few among political players who are familiar with the process and basic principles and how they apply. There has been so much infusion of local tenets and poor norms into democracy that the system of government has been assuming different meaning in the country.

It pre-supposes that Nigeria has lost touch with the basic norms and standards in democracy, a reason the system runs across board very haphazardly.Most political players in the contemporary Nigeria have been approaching democracy with high measure of warped ideas. Very largely, the practice has shot far from the run-way, showing the tendency of ending up in a deep gully. It was the picture of derailment of democracy that the House of Representatives took time to address during one of its sittings last week.

The House had hardly settled down for work, when one of its most vocal members, Halims Agoda, raised a motion to protest the stiff authorities exercised by some state governors in banning campaigns by opposition parties in their respective states. Agoda vehemently complained about anti-democratic actions taken by the governors of Eboyin and Jigawa states in that regard.

Both governors had been reported to have outlawed campaigns in their states by presidential candidates of opposition parties in a manner that seemed to have exposed the high level of political intolerance that the two are defining as their stock in trade.

None of the governors so referred to had denied exhibiting such dictatorial tendency, thus indicating that they could be taken head-on by any aggrieved party.

Indeed, two reasons could have prompted the order issued by the governors. The first reason could be anchored on the popularity deficit that the governors are possibly attempting to overcome, while the second could be linked to their overt obsequiousness; unsolicited attempts to play political cards in favour of the presidential villa. Whatever the reason the governors had adduced for their action, such would never jell and clear them for convoluting the principle of democracy which encourages freedom of association, movement, speech and all.

Nigerians, most especially major political players, do not seem to know that it is easy to be a hero in politics, so also is it easy to be a villain. The idea is that any governor who failed to factor the interest of the down-trodden into his agenda, who failed to address real issues in governance, who failed to raise sound economy in his state, who failed to lay basic infrastructure for his people to see and above all who failed to lay a good legacy as he rules, is bound to encounter popularity deficit. The electorate can always identify with any leader who answers the call of their basic needs and demands.

It is a reason not more than four state governors in Nigeria could be seen standing taller among others on a popularity chart.

It is unthinkable that a governor can pronounce a ban on campaigns by opposition parties in his domain, and in a full fledged democracy that is Nigeria. If such attitude by main political players, according to the Representatives, smirked of gross intolerance, it has, in addition, compromised what democracy preaches, just as it seemed to have laid the foundation for rapid attenuation of democracy that was built with the sweats and blood of some martyrs in the country.

Agoda, who moved a motion for cautioning the hyper active governors, says it all: “I am worried that such declarations are clear breaches of the nation’s constitution that guarantees freedom of association and liberty of movements for Nigerians within Nigeria. It is good that attention is drawn to the dire consequences of placing ban a state where political candidates can legitimately hold rallies to canvass for votes and support”.

In that spirit, the House urged the Minister of the Interior and the Inspector-General of Police to stir into action by calling those found culpable into order. It also urged the appropriate authorities to issue warnings to political parties and candidates not to hold violence prone rallies in states outside their territories.

Yet, up till now, no one appeared to have lifted a finger to right the wrong as suggested by the House. The implication is that soon, and very soon, democracy will give way to more ancient acts from players with possible no track of remedy. In this era of constitution amendment, it is better the lawmaking arm gets prepared for a thorough amendment meant to keep political errant at bay for Nigeria to emerge as a sophisticated democracy at the nick of time.