At PSSG National Dialogue, Stakeholders Agree Presidential System Not Working, Advocate Home-grown Alternative

The call for a transition from the current presidential system of government to a home-grown parliamentary system was the subject of discourse at a dialogue on Monday attended by eminent Nigerians, including former governors, religious leaders, scholars, current and former members of the National Assembly and opinion leaders, youth leaders and students.

Speakers at the dialogue convened by the home-grown Parliamentary System Support Group (PSSG) held at the Shehu Yar’Adua Center, Abuja agreed that the current presidential system was not working andgthat there was a need for the adoption of a homegrown governance system that would take into consideration Nigeria’s peculiarities. Many of the participagnts however canvassed for a home-grown parliamentary system, citing the unique benefits of parliamentary system over the presidential system.

Chairman of the occasion, former Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University and Convener of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Professor Ango Abdullahi, said the adoption of the American presidential system of governance was “our first mistake”, noting that the nation adopted “a system that did not fit our history, traditions, or experience.”

Going down memory lane, Prof. Abdullahi said Nigeria’s situation was worse under the presidential democracy in the past 24 years than the few years of parliamentary system of government.

Abdullahi said, “Now we have experienced the presidential system for 24 years. With due respect, I think our situation is worse than under the parliamentary system that we truncated after trying it for four, five years. One of the things we did wrongly was to bring in a system that did not fit us.”

Exploring the options available for Nigeria to get out of the current governance system challenge and adopt a system that addresses the peculiarities of the nation, Prof. Abdullahi said: “We should work on something. It must not necessarily be a typical parliamentary system from our former colonial masters; it could be something else. Definitely, the presidential system did not work for us, and there is a need for us to change to something else.”

Former governor of Osun State and immediate past Minister of Interior, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, noted the challenges bedeviling Nigeria, and argued  that any system of government that does not entrench accountability would not provide the needed results for the country.

He said one needed not to be a nuclear scientist to know that things were progressively getting bad. The former governor said smaller percentage of Nigerians were now prosperous, adding that when he was born, wealth was not limited to a few number of Nigerians as it is today.

Justifying the need for a transition to a home-grown parliamentary system, Aregbesola said: “If you go on believing that aman, no matter how beautiful, no matter how good, could have the capacity to govern 120 million people all alone without checks, we are joking. So, by that consideration alone, I am opposed to executive system of government.

“I believe the collective arrangement which the parliamentary system guarantees is best for a nation like Nigeria if indeed we are committed to advancing the interest of the large population and mass of our people.”

In her contribution to the discourse, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, wondered how Nigerian democracy moved from an era when a contestant for an elective office did not need to have a godfather before winning election to a situation where only the ruling parties and people with Godfathers win elections.

Ita-Giwa said: “There was a time in Nigeria when every human being had an opportunity if he so desire. There was a time if you want to go out there and serve your people, you didn’t need to have a Godfather. I as a woman, I contested four elections. I contested election on the platforms of opposition. I contested election when the entire South of Nigeria was PDP, and I said I am not going to belong to the party because you are supposed to belong to that party because it was government party. I contested election on the platform of a party that was supposed to belong to the North and I won that election.

“I contested election to House of Reps at the time that you have to belong to the UNCP because it was Abacha’s party. I contested on the platform of DPN, which was not Abacha’s party or government party and I won the election. So that was how good and transparent the system was even under the military government. You have to address the issue of restoring the dignity of the electoral system, you have to have a system to restore the dignity of the judiciary, you have to have a system where you will not be trampled upon as minorities.”

She cited her own example when she contested on the platform of the All Peoples Party in 1999 and won election in a state that was largely Peoples Democratic Party aligned. Ita-Giwa who described herself as a minority within minority, said she was minority by gender, by geo-political location and by tribe, adding that she was always cautious when a new system is advocated as she would want to know how it would protect her interest as a minority.

She recalled how her ancestral land, Bakassi, was ceded to Cameroon by the Nigerian government based on a judgement, withoutreference to the National Assembly, adding up till today, she is a refugee in her own country. She said a system that allowed such was not fair enough.

Ita-Giwa said whatever system that is advocated should protect the rights of the minorities.

Guest speaker at the dialogue, Dr Usman Bugaje, said it was a good thing that a dialogue of this nature was taking place, addingthat what is needed is to broaden the dialogue.

Bugaje noted that the experience of the past 25 years had shown that the presidential democracy had not met the expectations of Nigerians, rather it had deepened poverty, insecurity and engender mind-boggling corruption.

Speaking further, Bugaje said: “I like the idea of the homegrown effort. This is a very key word because if you borrow a system that has been nurtured in an entirely different history, social, and cultural environment, it will not work for you.

“You are supposed to work your own system. If we keep borrowing and borrowing and borrowing, we’ll become enslaved by ideas and systems that do not quite fit and solve our own problems. And I thought for this purpose it’s very important that we underscore the significance of this.

“When we come to look at our homegrown system, like I said, we need to broaden the discussion. One, we have to look at this as a process of reinventing our politics because our politics is really sick, is decaying, and citizens are agitating because it has not given them what they are looking for.”

In his address, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, who was the guest of honour, described the ongoing advocacy by some federal lawmakers  for a home-grown parliamentary system as “timely, as it speaks directly to the aspirations of our people for a governance system that reflects our values, priorities, and cultural identity.”

The Speaker, who was represented by former Majority Leader and Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Hon. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa,  said, “A home-grown parliamentary system must not only reflect the procedural aspects of governance but also the intrinsic values, goals, and cultural nuances of the people it serves”, adding, “It should be a leadership model grounded in substance, not merely in style.”

Speaking further, Speaker Abbas said:  “This, I believe, is the essence of indigenous governance; it is about crafting a legislative system that resonates with the everyday realities, aspirations, and diversity of the Nigerian people.

“As we examine potential reforms, I am aware that a unicameral system of government is often discussed. However, we must recognise that Nigeria’s vast geographical and cultural diversity poses unique demands. Unlike smaller or more homogeneous nations, our bicameral system has enabled us to balance representation across regions and ethnic groups, enhancing inclusivity and participation in the democratic process. Any significant structural change must, therefore, be carefully considered within the context of Nigeria’s complexities to avoid unintended consequences.

“Some have also suggested adopting part-time legislators. However, I must respectfully challenge this notion, as it may underestimate the profound responsibility that legislators bear. A legislator’s duties, comprising of law-making, representation, and oversight, are demanding and require substantial time and commitment. Government is not a casual endeavour; it is a serious business that demands full attention, accountability, and dedication.

“Our focus should instead be on embedding our legislative values into a homegrown model. To enhance resilience and professionalism, the National Assembly has prioritised continuous training and capacity building. Committees, leadership structures, members, administrative personnel, legislative aides, and support staff undergo consistent development programmes on diverse topics, all aimed at delivering on our legislative agenda for the benefit of Nigerians.”

Lauding the initiative of a dialogue by the organisers, the speaker said such exercises were “open avenues for fresh perspectives and innovative insights, broadening understanding and revealing paths that may not have previously been considered.

He added that he eagerly looks forward to reviewing the report from this dialogue and the various recommendations for building a truly home-grown parliamentary system for Nigeria.

In his own remarks, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, said he had listened carefully to the discussions and noted that there was a general consensus that what we have on ground is just not good enough for us and we cannot continue to accept it as if that is the best we can get.

“The problem of many of us is that when things are not going well, those in authority tell us that is the best we can get or that they cannot do better and we must realize that governance is difficult.”

He further noted that more attention had been paid to the legislature, adding that he would rather the discussion extends to all the three arms of government – the executive and the judiciary.

He said the question that should be asked was how do we move away from where we are now, as there must be some reasons why the nation is not moving beyond where it is now.“As a religious leader, I look at what is happening now, I am more interested not so much in the structures, I am more interested in the people that are running government and what is it that is moving them when they do things. I will want us to distinguish between the structures and the spirit.”

Onaiyekan said“the best form of government is democracy and we have opted for that. If we have opted for that, then we must do it rightly.”

He also raised two posers: “If our system is running badly, what is the position of the religious communities and leaders in this mess in which we are? Have we been part of the problem or part of the solution?”

Noting that Nigerians are said to be very religious, he said this should not be a liability but an asset.

Another speaker at the gathering, former Chairman of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Authority, Dr. Sam Amadi, noted that structures matter and again, institutions matters not in their ideal form but in their real form – how you practice it.

He said there is a differnce between institution defined and institution practiced.

Noting that power is at the heart of institutional change, DrAmadisaid what that meant was that those who wields power will have less incentives to change the system that benefits them. He said what would determine if the dvocacy for a transition to parliamentary system is achieved would depend on whether the promoters of the system are able “to embed it in social realism, so that people see it as their project, it becomes part of townhall conversation, religious leaders who are powerful sign on, social actors who are leaders sign on. So in a sense it becomes organic.”

Amadi said the most compelling arguments for parliamentary system were that it’s more suited for plural societies, because of its proximity to consensus building,  the engagement between the prime minister and the parliament is conventionally conditioned for response, and the parliamentary system is also less expensive because there is no need for a general election for the president or prime minister as the parliament elects the occupant of that office. He however noted the danger of leadership instability which the parliamentary system is prone to.

Islamic scholar from Kano, Dr. Baba Aliyu, in his contribution, said politics had become an industry and that is why people amass wealth for vote buying.

Quoting former US President Barack Obama, Aliyu said “Africa needs strong institutions, not strong individuals. He also said for there to be accountability, there is need for morality and rule of law.

He noted another absurdity in the Nigerian system whereby people spend hours on queue during elections and vote the candidate of their choice, only for the result to be disputed and then a panel of three or five judges decide who comes to power.

Also speaking at the dialogue, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. YakubuDogara, said “Everything about societal progress boils down to leadership. Leadership is not a job, it a responsibility. Responsibility is to take accountability for yourself as a leader and to hold those serving with you accountable. It is about insisting that everyone around you play according to the rules, which is fairness; and holding accountable those who do not, which is justice.

 “The major problem with the presidential system we practice now is not that we borrowed it from US, I can tell you that for free. But that those who copied it from the American constitution didn’t do a wonderful job.”

Dogara further explained that, “The problem with the American system we borrow is buried in those differences or derogations, that those who copied and created and carved the 1979 constitution, which we are practicing with some amendments made. So it is not the American system that we copied 100 per cent.

“I will give you two examples, in the US for instance, the Impeachment of the executive is real, it can happen. Even judges can be impeached. The provision is that it is the House that carries out the impeachment of both the members of the executive and the judges, while the senate tries them and if they are tried and convicted in the senate, they are removed. So it is real.

“But in the Nigerian constitution, Section 143 doesn’t provide anything about impeachment, it just mentioned it. Because at the end of the day, everything that the National Assembly has done, it will be handed over to a committee of seven, they call them people of impeachable character. I don’t know where we can assemble these angels, and their determination is final. It cannot even be questioned by the National Assembly or any court in Nigeria. And then the seven persons of impeachable character are appointed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, whom himself is an appointee of the President.  How do you make this impeachment real?

“…All these issue of contradictory judgments coming from the court, in the US it can be dealt with, but in Nigeria, no, because the power to deal with judges rests in the NJC, so that is a breach of the rules of natural justice, when the judiciary gets to determine what will happen to members of its own profession that are found wanting.”

Dogara added that: “What we have is lack of accountability. Any system we will build that will not make the people in power fear the people but the people instead will be afraid of the people in power, is an imperial democracy. It will never work, it will never produce any result.”

Professor Omoregei(SAN) went down memory lane on the reason that led to the adoption of the Presidential system as he recalled that after the 1964 elections there was conflict and it wasn’t  really clear who was in charge. “So the military wanted to be sure who is in charge at all times. That was the premises upon which the talk about presidentialism began, and ofcourse the drafting committee suggested we should have a presidential system.  My concern really is that we don’t really have much historical ties with the Americans, compared to the parliamentary system which we encountered with the contact with the British. Since 1979, we have been struggling to really understand what presidential system is all about.”

He said reviews had shown that Nigeria had really made a mess of adopting the presidential system and we have not taken full cognizance of our own democratic system as we experienced under the British.

Citing submissions of scholars that have done studies on the parliamentary system, he said the main attraction of the parliamentary system was the fact that the parliamentary system works better for the economic growth because of the system that is embedded in it.

“First is the issue of accountability. The prime minister is accountable, not only to his own political party but also the entire parliament.  There is also a system of transparency under the parliamentary system as the prime minister will have to constantly come to the parliament to defend the policies of his government, unlike the Presidential system where the president can sit back at the government house without speaking to anybody for four years.”

The representative of the youths, Barrister ChimdiNeliaku, a Special Assitant to the Speaker of the House of Representatives on Inter-parliamentary Affairs, commended the organizers for intentionally bringing the youth into the conversation, noting that to build a Nigeria that works for all, we have to really pay attention into intergenerational collaboration and co-leadership.

She saidshe believes young people and all Nigerians really want“a system that is reflective of our cultures, of our diversity, of our aspirations and desires as a people. Ofcourse, that then means we want a home-grown system of governance. What exactlythat will entail in terms of the nitty-gritty is something that must be discussed in a forum like this. She emphasized the importance of citizens engagement in achieving such.She also said young people want a Nigeria where they trust their leaders, adding that currently the youth do not trust Nigerian leaders.

She advocated a return to “our roots.”

“I am not saying we have to bring back all the traditional leaders, but we really need to go back to the basics, we really need to go back to our history, we really need to see what worked for us before the British came and how can we take some of those models and make it into something that works for us,” she said.

Using the law of contract as an argument, Neliaku said when you talk of a contract, there are few elements – offer, acceptance and consideration, and once you have these three things come together, you have a binding contract where anybody can sue if there is a breach.

She wondered why such did not apply to social contract and in the political landscape.“Maybe there is also a legal response in terms of how do we build the kind of nation we want. We want to enforce campaign promises?”

She cited the constitutional provision that demands geographic spread of votes for the election of President toprotect the minorities, adding that a home-grown parliamentary system being canvassed should also consider clauses that would protect the interest of the minorities.

Minority leader of the House of Representative, Hon Kingsley Chinda, in his contribution to the discourse said the issue was not about those who administer the system, but there must also be a system that is administrable.

“Some people might even say that Nigerians are inherently corrupt, but that is not the case, when we started we were not like this. So you ask the question: Where did we get it wrong? The only thing we have seen is that the system we imported, the laws we imported have so many loopholes. And it makes it comfortable for us as public officeholders to do things that we get away with easily.

“The former speaker talked about the issue of impeachment, removing a councilor under our present law is almost an impossibility, I am not talking about the members of the National Assembly, but the councilor at the ward level, because the councilor knows thatyou have to get majority signatures of voters and that will be confirmed by INEC. So how do you do that when the voter register has more than 50 per cent ghost names,  so where are you going to get the 50 percent genuine persons and their signatures confirmed? So this system allows inherent loopholes that will allow those administering it to go scot free,” Chinda said.

He also cited as example the same Nigerians who take pride in beating the traffic or bypassing electricity connection, would get to a neigbouring country where they have better and stronger systems like Ghana and do the right thing, because the system works.

He said while there were calls for mindset change, he believes that it is the younger people that need mindset change “because we already know what we are doing is wrong and when we go to a clime where they have better and stronger system, we behave ourselves.”

Arguing that what is needed is to change the system and provide stronger penalties, the House minority leader recalled that in the 8th or 7^th Assembly, death penalty was proposed for public office holders who steal public funds but it did not see the light of the day.

Hon Wale Raji, on his part, said the parliamentary system is the most representative form of governance,as nobody can be in government without being elected by the people. “Allegiance is to the appointing authority. As long as the appointing authority is happy with him, he keeps his job. The current system, from our experience, in the parliament, minister can even shun the invitation of the House.”

He said the fact that the leader of government is also a member of parliament ensures accountability because he responds to questions in the parliament.

Raji said when a person sets out on a journey and he is not making progress towards his destination, the appropriate thing is to review the journey and make necessary changes.

Earlier in his welcome address, spokesman of the lawmakers seeking a transition from presidential system to a parliamentary system, Hon Abdussamad Dasuki, said the dialogue was more than just a gathering.

“It is a bridge between generations, a profound exercise in mentorship and torch-passing. As we explore the case for a home-grown parliamentary in Nigeria, let us remember that this dialogue is not only about governance structures but also about inspiring the next generation to lead with reason, reflect on Nigeria’s potential, and forge a path that honours our shared history, culture, and collective dreams for a better nation,” he said.

Setting the tone of the discussion, Hon Dasuki said: “As we gather today to reflect on over 25 years of democracy in Nigeria, it is impossible not to recognise that this period has been an experiment—one that has tested our patience, optimism, and enduring hope for a better nation. Yes, we have nurtured and embraced this democracy, but let us be candid: this is not the democracy we desire, nor the one our founding fathers envisaged.

“A closer look at our system reveals fractures that can no longer be ignored, dreams left unfulfilled, and gaps that beg to be filled. Now is the time to address these issues. Now is the time to rethink an escape route from this reality. Now is the time to set our minds on crafting a new path—a cure for the affliction that has transformed our democracy into a spectacle of pity.

“For years, we have argued and debated how to cure this affliction, but we must always remind ourselves that the core problem lies in the vehicle through which we experience this democracy: the current presidential system. Each election year, we invest our hopes and dreams into a system expected to uplift our people, only to find ourselves repeating the same wish after every cycle of four challenging years. Instead of a government that works for the people, we see one that serves public officials—a government that grows fat on bloated overheads, delivering scant dividends to its citizens.

“Clearly, we need an alternative. But what should replace this presidential model—a mere imitation of the American system—must be a home-grown solution. This answer is not for any individual or group to dictate; it must emerge from a genuine dialogue among Nigerians, especially between the young and the old, the new generation and those before them. Each of us is affected differently by the dysfunction in our presidential system, and this shared experience invites us all to be part of this aspiration for a new governance model.”

The two panels at the dialogue were moderated by former chair of the House Committee on Foreign Relations, Hon NnennaElenduUkeji, and former Senior Special Assistant on Media to Vice President YemiOsinbajo, MrLaoluAkande.

Highlights of the event include the unveiling of the winners of the national essay competition on Parliamentary and Presidential system by Professor EdobaOmoregie (SAN), Vice Chancellor-designate,University of Benin. Their entries were picked from among over 1000 entries sent in by Nigerian undergraduates.

Nabila Sule of the University of Ilorin, came third, Henry Chukwura from University of Calabar came second, while Miss MojeebatIdris from Crescent University emerged the overall winner.