*Say presidential system will address ethnic, religious diversities
After a meeting with the National Assembly group seeking a return to parliamentary democracy, the League of Northern Democrats (LND) has recommended that Nigeria should continue with presidential system of democracy with some modifications.
The National Dialogue on a Home-Grown Parliamentary System of Government led by the House of Representatives Minority leader, Kingsley Chinda, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP Rivers), Wale Raji of the APC (Lagos)and Abdulssmmed Dasuki (PDP Sokoto) and the League of Northern Democrats met, where the LND insisted that Nigeria continue with presidential system with some modifications.
Addressing the meeting Monday in Abuja, the chairman of the League of Northern Democrats, former governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau said, “‘This system (referring to the presidential system) is uniquely suited to address the profound ethnic and religious diversity of our nation.
”Since the amalgamation in 1914, Nigeria has struggled with tensions between its varied ethnic groups, religious beliefs and regional identities. These divisions often manifest in political rivalries that threaten national unity. By requiring leaders to seek votes from a broad electorate, the presidential system compels them to prioritize the interests of the entire nation over narrow regional or ethnic concerns, thus fostering a shared sense of Nigerian identity and purpose”, Shekarau said..
The chairman of the LND further said that the British Parliamentary system of government adopted at independence where Parliamentarians were elected only by their small constituencies failed to advance national integration as it was comparatively easy for small ethnic and other factional interests to dominate local politics.
He told the National Assembly seeking a return to parliamentary democracy that ”Members elected from these constituencies will all too often be more concerned with the interest of the ethnic groups and localities they represent and thus carry these interests to the national level. This way, politics of these local groups becomes the national politics. We saw this happened in the First Republic.”
However, Shekarau said, ”In the presidential system, however, the President and Vice President must win a nationwide election, and to do that they have to appeal to all ethnic groups and to a whole host of other interests across the country. Because of this the President and the Vice President will less likely be controlled by specific ethnic and other special interest groups but by national interests.
”Thus, the presidential system, invented by the 1979 constitution and retained by the 1999 constitution, was meant to expand and extend the size of Nigeria’s democracy thereby taking in an ever-larger number of ethnic groups, factions and other interest groups. In such a large democracy, no one group would ever be big enough to always dominate the national political process.
”This would mean that national politics would have to be dominated by ever-shifting coalitions of ethnic, religious, regional and other interests rather than by one majority bloc. As a result, such a large constituency would be less prone to interest group capture at any one given time. What this means is that the Presidency will tend to have moderating effect on our ethnic, religious and sectional politics. Because of this, divisional barriers are being broken to advance national integration and unity.”
In contrast, the chairman of the Northern Democrats said, “the parliamentary system, with its emphasis on regional constituencies, can encourage localism and factionalism, as members are primarily accountable to specific ethnic or local groups. This structure, while effective in some homogeneous societies, risks entrenching ethnic and sectional loyalties in a pluralistic society like ours. As we saw in the past, the parliamentary model exacerbated regional divides, as legislators tended to prioritize the interests of their ethnic or regional groups at the expense of national integration.”
According to Shekarau, ”The presidential model also incorporates the principle of Federal Character to ensure fair representation. By incorporating this system, we uphold a structural safeguard that promotes inclusive governance, creating a balance where no single group dominates, and all voices are heard in the shaping of our nation’s future.
”This framework tempers the influence of any single bloc and encourages the emergence of multi-ethnic coalitions. Such diversity within our government reflects the nation’s plurality and builds a resilient democracy that can withstand ethnic and sectarian pressures. The impact is clear: a united Nigeria that can progress towards national integration and stability!”
However, the former governor of Kano State said that while the presidential system provides a stable executive structure, it remains plagued by high costs and inefficiencies that undermine its potential.
Consequently , Shekarau said, ”To address these issues, we advocate for significant structural adjustments which include
”Streamline the Legislature: We can enhance efficiency by eliminating the bicameral structure and maintaining only one legislative chamber, thus reducing redundancy and operational costs.
”Limit Ministerial Positions: Restricting federal ministries to three per geopolitical zone will curb excessive spending on ministerial portfolios while allowing for focused and impactful governance.
”Rationalize Federal Agencies: Over half of the current federal agencies are redundant and could be streamlined or merged to cut unnecessary expenditures without compromising effectiveness.
”Devolve Power: Greater devolution of powers and responsibilities to states and local governments will ease the burden on the federal government, enabling it to focus on critical national matters, while empowering lower tiers to address local needs directly.”, Shekarau stated
He explained that the presidential system offers Nigeria a practical and tested pathway to achieving unity amidst diversity, stressing that ”It is a model that compels leaders to pursue national, rather than parochial, interests.
”In this pivotal moment, we must continue to embrace a system that consolidates our differences and transforms them into strength for a united Nigeria; while the suggested reforms will reduce the cost of governance and foster a more efficient and responsive system that better serves the Nigerian people”, Shekarau stated..
THISDAY
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