Victor Attah supports demolition of Nigeria’s presidential system
Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and senior Obong statesman Viktor Attah supported the demolition of the presidential system and a return to parliamentary government in Nigeria. Obong Attah, who spoke with Uyo yesterday as he responded to the ongoing #EndSARS protests by young Nigerians, stressed that the country’s current presidential system of government was the reason for its failure.
He noted that Nigeria was better off when it had a parliamentary system of government, as the regions were autonomous and controlled their own resources, had their own police force, and only contributed to the central government.
He stressed that the parliamentary system of government allows people to choose their representatives on the basis of performance and without a godfather. His words: “The presidential system has become very oppressive. It seems like it’s in our nature to hear that after winning an election you are the winner, so you behave exactly the way you want, no one can talk to you, you don’t need to see anyone, and this is what happens, and we abuse it.
“I read a few days ago that the North wants Jonathan to return and complete his mandate. The constitution says yes, you can have two terms, but that’s only if people want you to come back. This does not mean that after being elected, you have two positions, and if you have not completed your term, you must return and complete it.
“That is why I say that we are not morally ready for this presidential system. We are not ready, and this is one of the reasons why I say throw it out and return to the parliamentary system. In a parliamentary system, if you have a good prime minister, like Margaret Thatcher was in Britain, you can come back four or five times if your people want you.
“You are the prime minister because you are elected from your small enclave and the whole country sees that you are good and they insist that you become prime minister. This system is what suits us now. ” The former governor pointed out that Nigeria’s problem extends beyond governance, noting that if you bring the angels to make the system work today, it will still fail.
The system said it wants to revive Nigeria, adding: “Let’s give it a new birth, let it be what it always should be: a federal system and preferably, I say, preferably because some people are still in love with this presidential system, I am not the vanguard
Source: – Vanguard
