The former governor of Osun State and recent Minister of Interior under the Buhari administration, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has added his voice to the calls for the abolition of the presidential system of government, advocating instead for a parliamentary system. He expressed these views at a National Dialogue on Home-Grown Parliamentary Systems held in Abuja on Monday.
Aregbesola emphasized that, given Nigeria’s unique circumstances, a parliamentary system would be better suited for the country. He stated, “If you continue to believe that a single individual, no matter how capable or appealing, can effectively govern 120 million people alone without any checks, then we are kidding ourselves. For that reason alone, I am opposed to the executive system of government.”
A member of the House of Representatives, Abdusamad Dasuki, recently voiced his opinion that the current presidential system is failing the nation and should be replaced with a parliamentary system, as was practiced during the First Republic. Earlier this year, the parliamentary system was also a topic of discussion in the House of Representatives when a group of approximately 60 lawmakers sought amendments to the 1999 Constitution to facilitate a transition to a parliamentary system.
There is widespread agreement that such a shift could significantly reduce the cost of governance and promote the kind of good governance that has been elusive in recent years. According to this group, transitioning to a parliamentary system has become essential in light of declining revenue. Many prominent Nigerians have since joined the call for this change in governance structure.
