Presidential system too costly, complicated for Nigeria, says Akande

A former Interim National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande,  has said the presidential system of government Nigeria is practising can no longer sustain its growth and success.

Akande spoke at a news conference in his country home, Ila, Osun State as part of activities to mark his 79th birthday.

He said multi-party parliamentary democracy was the best form of government for Nigeria, if it wanted to catch up with the rest of the civilised world.

Akande, a former governor, said the American democracy system of multi-party presidentialism was too complicated and costly for a country of poor people with large illiteracy rate like Nigeria.

According to him, the Nigerian nation is currently running a difficult government under an unworkable set up.

“President Buhari is my friend and I want him to succeed but he is running a difficult system of government.

“Nigeria’s  democracy is a military democracy of sharing and if we continue like this, there is no how we can succeed.

“Up to this present age, evidence based analyses has proven parliamentary democracy to be the most accountable transparent form of government in the whole world,’’ he said.

He said parliamentary democracy had helped countries like the United Kingdom rich, stable and respectable globally and also made the very young Israel very strong economically and militarily.

“ It is also transforming India from acute poverty and hunger into self sufficiency and reliability virtually in all fields.

“Apart from being transparent and accountable, parliamentary democracy is absolutely inclusive.

“It appears to be the best form of governmental structure for Nigeria now,’’ he said.

Akande added that anything less accountable and transparent would not help the development of the country.

He recalled his experience as governor of Osun State, when he said he had to make over 100 decisions that would affect several human lives per day, and yet, the control of key machineries of government to back up his decisions were never within his reach.

In his words: “In Nigeria’s Presidential System of government, lawmakers are elected on party platforms, but as soon as they get to the parliament, the party on which platform they get the opportunity, becomes less important.

“All that is important at that level is the collective interest of the members of that parliament. Party’s programmes and manifestoes are no longer important. That has been the major problem facing the country. Let’s dump this corrupt presidential system and go for the more transparent Parliamentary System.

“As a governor in 1999, my administration worked with a parliament that has 26 members all voted in on the platform of my party, despite this, the assembly decided not to support the programmes of the party that gave them opportunity.

“They served me impeachment notice. On the day the motion was moved, 24 members all from my party voted in support of my removal, one voted against it and the Speaker did not vote.

“I was given 21 days. On the day they sat again on the matter, 13 said no to my impeachment and 12 said I should be removed. The Speaker did not vote. Same party that produced the lawmakers, also produced me as governor. I believe, even if an angel is sent to administer this kind of unworkable system, he will fail.”

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