A group, the League of Northern Democrats (LND) has rejected the proposed parliamentary system of government for Nigeria, urging Nigerians to continue with the presidential system.
Since the commencement of the constitution review by the National Assembly, there has been debate on the system of government Nigeria should adopt.
However, the LND said there is no reason for the country to return to the parliamentary system, insisting that the presidential system of government offers a lot of opportunities for Nigeria and Nigerians.
In a position paper delivered by the Chairman of LND and former Governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, at the National Dialogue on a Home-Grown Parliamentary System of Government on Monday at Yar’adua Center, Abuja, the group made a strong case for retaining the presidential system of government in Nigeria.
“This system is uniquely suited to address the profound ethnic and religious diversity of our nation,” Shekarau said, adding that 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 prioritise the interests of the entire nation over narrow regional or ethnic concerns, thus fostering a shared sense of Nigerian identity and purpose.
“Clearly, 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.
“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, the politics of these local groups becomes the national politics. We saw this happen in the First Republic.
“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,” Shekarau said.
He insisted that 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 a moderating effect on our ethnic, religious and sectional politics. Because of this, divisional barriers are being broken to advance national integration and unity,” Shekarau said.
In contrast, the leader 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 prioritise the interests of their ethnic or regional groups at the expense of national integration.
“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!” the group stated.
However, while acknowledging that the presidential system provides a stable executive structure, it noted that it remains plagued by high costs and inefficiencies that undermine its potential.
To address these issues, the group advocates significant structural adjustments including streamlined legislature.
“We can enhance efficiency by eliminating the bicameral structure and maintaining only one legislative chamber, thus reducing redundancy and operational costs.
It further asked for limited ministerial positions, saying restricting federal ministries to three per geopolitical zone will curb excessive spending on ministerial portfolios while allowing for focused and impactful governance.
The group also sought rationalised federal agencies, noting that over half of the current federal agencies are redundant and could be streamlined or merged to cut unnecessary expenditures without compromising effectiveness.
Another measure advocates is devolution of 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; and
“Curb the excesses of the operators of the presidential system. This will include ensuring the autonomy of political parties, the judiciary, the composition of NASS leadership, INEC, etc. and such vices like budget paddings, etc,” Shekarau said, stating that the presidential system offers Nigeria a practical and tested pathway to achieving unity amidst diversity.
“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, curbing the excesses of operators, the presidential system will ultimately prove to be better for a multicultural policy such as ours,” Shekarau added.
