Former President Olusegun Obasanjo cautioned against calls for the return of a parliamentary system of government to replace the existing presidential structure, citing challenges associated with running a parliament.
Obasanjo, who served as head of state from 1976 to 1979 and as a democratically elected president from 1999 to 2007, expressed his stance during the public presentation of the book “Court and Politics” authored by Umar Ardo.
Reacting to arguments in favor of the parliamentary system, particularly raised by a member of the Northern Elders Forum and former vice chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Ango Abdullahi, Obasanjo stressed the importance of political culture in determining the success of any governance system.
He highlighted the need for a conducive political environment and the requisite political culture to sustain any system of government, whether parliamentary or presidential.
Obasanjo stressed the significance of devolving power and resources from the federal to the state and local government levels, rather than focusing solely on the choice between parliamentary and presidential systems. He emphasized that without a supportive political culture and effective leadership, any governance system would falter.
Additionally, he attributed Nigeria’s economic predicament to poor resource management and low productivity, urging leaders to take responsibility for addressing these issues rather than shifting blame onto the populace.
The former President cautioned against rushing to adopt new governance systems without addressing underlying issues of political culture and leadership accountability, underscoring the importance of a holistic approach to governance reform.
