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Who is a legislator? A legislator is a an erudite he or she make laws, a legislator is a philosopher he or she thinks about the society, a legislator is a leader he or she represents the people. Anything short of this is no legislature and can never be said to be legislating in the real sense of it. Even when such person is on the floor of the house, or a speaker and even a president of the assembly, if he or she is lacking in any of this basic characteristic he is no legislature but an opportunist. A legislator is genuinely a legislator because he can legislate anywhere he finds himself, a representative who can only legislate in his or her domain is an opportunist. The standard of legislating is one and the same all over the world!
Legislation determines the democratic outlook of a society, any democracy that is thriving we need not go too far all we need to do is check the legislative capacity and legislation, so also any democracy that is doing badly all we need to do is check the legislative capacity and legislation itself. As a matter of fact, the executive will find it difficult to demean democracy if legislation is what it should be. Democracy fails because legislation fails, there is no way democracy could have failed if the legislator is alive to his or her duties and responsibilities. Therefore, any society that has gotten the art and act of legislation right will maximize the benefit of democracy but when a society claims to have a democracy without legislative capacity in its proper element such should be prepared to confront her most fundamental problems in a ruthless and helpless manner.
What is the identity of a Legislator? The legislator is the moral captain of his constituency and the Nation at large, he is a man of principles, at all times a legislature must stand for something, the legislator is an intellectual he must never be found wanting in knowledge, he or she must be articulate never be found wanting in expression and the legislator must be the cultural ambassador of his people at all times, any man or woman that does not encompass these values is not a legislator , he or she might be a member even a speaker, president or chair of the assembly but he or she is an opportunist not a legislator! A mediocre can never be a legislator, when a mediocre finds him or herself on the floor of the house he or she is an opportunist!
Of all the identities the most important identity of the legislator is principles, there is no way a man or woman can rightly call him or herself a legislator if the character of principle is missing. Democracy is a principle of governance, legislation itself is a principle of democracy, everything about legislation is a function of principle. In legislation there is no middle ground is either you are upholding it or destroying it, a legislature who lacks principle is worse than a tyrant! A tyrant comes out for all to see but a legislature without principles wear the cloak of democracy to exhibit his or her tyranny.
Finally, a legislator keeps legislating even when there is no gavel or mace, his conscience is the floor of the assembly, he continues to advocate for great laws, he continues to struggle to uphold democracy, he continues the fight for social justice, he continues to think, read, write and act for the common good.
Citizens must always be aware and conscious on voting for the legislative assembly, there are more opportunist than there are real legislators, the choices we make determines the future of democracy.
Hon. Adeyemi Abidemi
Minorithy Whip KGHA(2011-2015)
Founder: African Reading Project (ARP)
Director of Research : African Development Studies Centre