Ballot or Bullet Revolution: Which Way Nigeria?

By Simon Peter .N. Okanumee

INTRODUCTION

In the recent years, Nigeria has witnessed several ethnic tensions and separatist movements. The two most prominent ones are: The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the call for the creation of Oduduwa Republic. Although the former and latter have expressed lack of faith in the unity of Nigeria and ballot revolution, thus calling for referendum, yet they have not formally resorted to bullet revolution, even though IPOB has been so accused and proscribed.

Besides these tribal agitations, there are other detribalized groups, like the “Revolution Now” and the “Obi-dient Movement” groups. The EndSARS protest by Nigerians in 2020, cutting across all ethnic groups, was an expression of their disenchantment with the current state of things. Thus, the 2023 general election is seen as a revolutionary moment by Nigerians.

An example of a revolutionary moment in history was that of the first African-American president of the United States of America, Barrack Obama. With his slogan “yes, we can,” he brought about a revolution in the United States of America’s politics and emerged as the first ever African-American president in the White House. This is a prototype of an ideal political revolution.

We recall some examples of other revolutionists like Martin Luther King Junior, Nelson Mandela, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Odumegwu Ojukwu, Kwame Nkrumah, Mahatma Ghandi, among others. Besides the field of politics, there are many people in other facets of human endeavours who have made strong waves through revolution.

Be that as it may, the central message here is that for us to live meaningfully and not just to exist, we need revolution from time to time, for that is what life is all about- revolution and not evolution. However, it entails sacrifices.

Revolutionary moments are seasons of positive changes and as such they are called for. We need revolution to say “No” to inhuman situations we encounter in life and say “Yes” to good living conditions we desire. Failure to do so is “to exist” and “not to live,” which reduces mankind to the same level with other lower animals. What follows will redefine revolution and highlight the dimensions of an ideal revolution with a view to marketing it to Nigerians, who need revolution now, more than ever.

To this end, this article posits “the 5 W’s and H,” questions, namely: “who, what, when, where, why and how” and attempts to proffer answers. The latter refers to the six basic questions to ask when gathering information or solving a problem. The “How question” is captured by the topic: “Ballot or Bullet Revolution: which way Nigeria?”

WHO SHOULD CARRY OUT A REVOLUTION?

A story was told about a man who knelt down to pray and was accusing God of not coming to his assistance. After praying, the voice of God spoke to him saying: “I have created you and given you all you need to survive: your head, two hands, two legs and good health.” This goes to show that mankind is a special and distinguished higher animal with the capacity to revolt and surmount his/her challenging situations.

Revolution is as old as man and is meant for every age and people. Even animals and nature revolt, unconsciously though, when the natural laws governing them are transgressed. For humans, living meaningfully calls for constant turnaround, as and when necessary. Hence, it is characteristic of humans to revolt against circumstances that confront them. To do so is ‘to live’ bravely; failure to do so is ‘to exist’ cowardly.

Thus, William Shakespeare writes: “cowards die many times before their death; the valiant never tastes of death but once.” Evil thrives when good people fail to speak up or act when they ought to.

All inhuman situations linger until something is done to change them for good. When we fail to allow revolution in our lives and situations, we are resorting to evolution and putting ourselves at the mercy of nature.

Thus, for A. Hoffmann: “the only way to support a revolution is to make your own.” So, if things would really change for the better in any society or situation, positive actions must be taken. It is not enough to sit tight, fold arms, watch and wish things to get better. One must rise to the occasion. That is what distinguishes human beings from lower animals and robots. Simply put, we must “be the change we want to see in the world.”

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF REVOLUTION?

To drive home this point, let me share a personal experience to illustrate what revolution is all about; namely, changing a dysfunctional status-quo. Once upon a time, I was embarking on a journey in public transport. The seat capacity of the bus was meant to accommodate three passengers per roll. I noticed the driver was having more than three passengers per roll.

I tried to inquire from the driver why such would be the case, but I discovered that the driver had no reasonable explanation other than to take undue advantage of the unsuspecting passengers. A fellow passenger told me that such was normally the case with most drivers. I told myself that such injustice would stop that day or at least, it would not be meted to me. I alighted from the bus and was going to board another one.

All other passengers followed suit. The driver started pleading with us to sit back. We insisted on our right for three persons per roll. The driver quickly agreed to our terms and promised never to perpetrate such injustice again.

The foregoing scenario is a typical example of an ideal revolution. By way of definition, revolution is from the Latin word “revolutio,” meaning “a turnaround.” It is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time. Revolutions have occurred and will keep occurring throughout human history. Every moment of our lives is punctuated with one form of revolution or the other.

Revolutions only vary in terms of methods, durations and the motivational ideologies behind them. What informs a revolution might be right or wrong; the result might also be positive or negative, but in most cases, the aftermath is positive change. Revolution can come in the form of bringing about positive changes in culture, attitude, religion, economy and/or socio-political conditions of the people.

WHEN SHOULD REVOLUTION TAKE PLACE?

It is always good to annihilate the monster when it is still tender. Failure to nip the cankerworm in the bud might spell doom in the nearest future. Likewise, revolution is not carried out only when people have had inhuman situations up to their neck. When such is the case, revolutions would most likely become more difficult to contain. That is when people usually resort to violence. R. Vaneigen had this to say:

“Those who talk about revolution and class struggle without referring explicitly to everyday life, without understanding what is subversive about love and what is positive in the refusal of constraints, such people have a corpse in their mouth.” What this means is that revolution ought to be carried out “ubicumque et semper” (Latin expression for “everywhere and always”).

When people resist minutest evil, rise up against all forms of injustice, criticize all manners of unacceptable behaviour; they forestall, by doing so, little evil systems from growing into hydra headed monsters; for a stitch in time saves nine.

The question here is: Is revolution or evolution the solution to the human predicaments? Where is the meeting point between human freedom and the supremacy of God over the Universe? Of course, God rules the world. The same God allows men the freedom to keep a date with their destinies and man does this through revolution. This is the meeting point between human intelligence and the power of God over the Universe.

The Genesis account of creation makes it clear that God gave mankind mandate to dominate and subdue the earth (cf. Gen1:28) from the time of creation. The latter authority could be used, abused or not used at all, since it was given with responsible freedom. However, mankind will finally be held accountable.

WHERE SHOULD REVOLUTION TAKE PLACE?

There are basically two places where one can make one’s revolution felt, namely: on one’s self and one’s environment. In other words, it is safe to say that revolution has both internal and external dimensions. These dimensions are important and indispensably integral to each other.

However, revolutions must begin internally. T. C. Bambara puts it thus: “Revolution begins with the self, in the self.” This is true because it is only one who has revolutionized his/her thinking and action who can comfortably do the same to his/her environment. In other words, it takes emancipation from mental slavery to embark on liberty from physical limitation.

Thus, people should first of all change themselves before embarking on the bigger project of changing their immediate society and the world at large. This truly affirms what Edmund Burke avows, namely: “The most important of all revolutions, are revolutions in sentiments, manners and moral opinions.” Commenting on the American Revolution, an erstwhile United States’ President, John Adams, submits that: “the revolution was effected before the war commenced. The revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people. This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments and affections of the people was the real American Revolution.”

WHY IS REVOLUTION THE WAY FORWARD?

As a matter of fact and according to Victor Hugo, “revolution is the larva of civilization.” A British psychologist and author, Havelock Ellis, opines: “All civilization has from time to time become a thin crust over a volcano of revolution.” All giant strides accomplished in human history have always been acts of revolution and not mere evolution.

Evolution here implies allowing natural forces and factors to determine one’s fate. J. O. Gasset puts it this way: “Revolution is not the uprising against pre-existing order, but the setting up of a new order contradictory to the traditional one.” In other words, life ought to be a revolution and not an evolution. This is true because God will not do for mankind what mankind can do.

Hence, when people revolt they constitute God’s veritable instrument for positive changes. If we keep counting the cost of revolution we shall never embark on the course; however, the course is always better than the cost. Silence is not an option either. The end result of the sin of silence is always negative. One of such is dictatorship in the socio-political sphere.

Little wonder Bertrand de Jouvenel says that “a society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves.” One can decide to act either positively or negatively. In this case, revolution is a positive action whereas evolution is a negative one. The latter and former choices imply confronting bad situations or simply surrendering to such situations with a defeatist disposition and sheer inaction.

HOW SHOULD REVOLUTION BE EXECUTED?

I think the common sense answer to the above question would always suggest non-violence. Of course, revolution is not necessarily violent as it is commonly misunderstood. Surely, revolution is not synonymous with violence or taking up arms; it is not necessarily by illegal means or violation of law and order. Unfortunately, people erroneously equate revolution with violence.

This misconception is dangerous. Revolution by means of violence has never been the first option of any ideal revolution. However, it is when peaceful revolution is made impossible or suppressed by brutal force that the people resort to violence, which should not be.

John F. Kennedy, the 35th United State’s president puts it this way: “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” Violent revolution is always the last and inevitable option when peaceful revolution is not given a chance. However, in normal circumstances, non-violence is the ideal form of revolution.

Violent revolutions, like wars, do not count who is right but who is left. This is not the goal of ideal revolution, which is meant to bring about positive change, not any change. This is what ideal revolution promotes and for it to occur, someone or a group of people has to ignite it. It does not just happen.

CONCLUSION

A soliloquy from William Shakespeare’s book “Hamlet,” asks: “To be or not to be, that is the question: whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them?” It continues: “For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, the oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, the pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, the insolence of office and spurs that patient merit of the unworthy takes, when he himself might his quietus make a bare bodkin?” In the latter soliloquy, the character “Hamlet” struggles with his internal dilemma of whether or not to take his life in the face of frustrating events that assailed him or to take a stand against his prevailing situation and so confront them. Likewise, I dare ask Nigerians: “To be” or “not to be”?

A Nigerian born legendary Highlife and Afrobeat Musician, Sunny Okosun, in February 1983, sang a prophetic song with the title: “Which way Nigeria?” In the music, he asked a three-in-one question: “Which way Nigeria. Which way to go? I want to know which way Nigeria is heading to.”

His questions then were provoked by the rising inflation, ineptitude at state and federal levels of leadership, insecurity, poverty, indiscipline, corruption and national geopolitical tensions in Nigeria. By the time Nigerians go for general elections in February 2023, the latter questions would have lingered for forty-years and will still remain relevant and unanswered. Of course, there is no better moment to answer these existential questions than now.

To this end, if Nigerians fail in 2023 to change the status-quo in the socio-political, economic and cultural spheres of the nation by “voting right,” that is, taking to ballot revolution to elect good leaders, not on the bases of primordial sentiments like tribe, religion or political party affiliation, but on competence, character and capacity, there is fear then that bullet revolution might be inevitable.

Nothing has ever been achieved by folding arms in passivity. We have been praying as a nation and we should not cease. However, this is the time to act, that is, to “vote right.” By doing so, we collaborate with the grace of God that is always sufficient. Let us vote for good leaders and not just to vilify the bad ones. Anytime we vote right or wrong, we are answering this existential question: “Ballot or Bullet Revolution: which way Nigeria?”

would always suggest non-violence. Of course, revolution is not necessarily violent as it is commonly misunderstood. Surely, revolution is not synonymous with violence or taking up arms; it is not necessarily by illegal means or violation of law and order.

Unfortunately, people erroneously equate revolution with violence. This misconception is dangerous. Revolution by means of violence has never been the first option of any ideal revolution. However, it is when peaceful revolution is made impossible or suppressed by brutal force that the people resort to violence, which should not be.

However, in normal circumstances, non-violence is the ideal form of revolution. Violent revolutions, like wars, do not count who is right but who is left. This is not the goal of ideal revolution, which is meant to bring about positive change, not any change. This is what ideal revolution promotes and for it to occur, someone or a group of people has to ignite it. It does not just happen.

CONCLUSION