Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, has suggested a new model of government for Nigeria, saying the Western democratic liberal model has failed in Nigeria.
Agbakoba made the call on Friday as a guest on Arise Television’s Morning Show programme.
It would be recalled that in February 2024, 60 members of the House of Representatives citing the need to cut the cost of governance, sponsored a bill seeking the country to revert from presidential system of government to parliamentary system of government.
Titled ‘The Bills proposing constitutional alterations for a transition to parliamentary system of government,’ was sponsored by the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, and 59 others who belonged to different political parties was read for the first time on the floor of the House during Wednesday’s plenary session in Abuja.
According to the lawmakers, their position was based on the need to adopt a parliamentary system at the Federal, State and Local Government levels.
Equally, elder statesman, Alhaji Aminu Dantata has thrown his weight behind the call for Nigeria to transit from a presidential to a parliamentary system.
Like the lawmakers, Dantata said the parliamentary system is better than the presidential system of government because it is cheaper, especially with the current economic situation in the country.
Speaking on the matter, Agbakoba suggested “a consociational democracy, where we build our institutional democracy around our institutions.”
He said, “I think that the basic problem permits me to give a small contextual and conceptual background about where we are and the problem, I think that the basic problem is that the Western democratic liberal model has failed. Nigeria, as you know, we’ve worked on a new constitutional process for 25 years, since 2000, and nothing.
“I think it’s time to rethink and reimagine our democratic experience. It’s not working, it’s not inclusive, it’s divisive. It’s full of fighting. It’s a winner-takes-it-all. People want power; nobody wants to be in the opposition.
“I am a very strong person in finding a role for traditional rulers. King Charles is the constitutional monarch of the United Kingdom, and he has a role to play. He’s going to Canada. He’s playing a role in the trade process. He’s got a good deal with Trump. So I think our constitutional process should include the traditional rulers. I will recommend the Belgium model, where the Walloons and the Flemings are different people, but they’ve come to an arrangement whereby there is inclusion.”
He said, first the Western democratic liberal model should be discarded , adding that it is not working.
“It’s something that enables only a few to extract. If return on capital exceeds return on development, why would anybody want to develop Nigeria?
“These are the two broad points I think we need to take into account in reimagining a new Nigerian experiment. Otherwise, I started at 29, like I keep saying. Now I’m 72. If something hasn’t worked for all this time, is it not time we think through a process?” he stated.
