‘One man can’t govern Nigeria’ — Aregbesola backs call for parliamentary system

Rauf Aregbesola, former governor of Osun, says the parliamentary system of government is most suitable for a populous country like Nigeria.

The former minister of interior spoke on Monday at a national dialogue on Home-Grown Parliamentary System in Abuja.

“If you go on believing that an individual, no matter how beautiful, no matter how good, could have the capacity to govern 120 million people all alone without checks, we are joking,” he said.

“So, by that consideration alone, I am opposed to the 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.”

Nigeria currently practices a presidential system of government which allows for a direct election of the president.

In February, a bill seeking to introduce the parliamentary system of government passed the first reading at the house of representatives.

The bill was sponsored by 60 lawmakers who believed that the “imperfections of the presidential system of government have become glaring to all”.

Speaking on behalf of the lawmakers, Abdulsamad Dasuki from Sokoto state, said the presidential system has “denied the nation the opportunity” of attaining its full potential.

Meanwhile, a similar bill was sponsored in 2018 but did not scale through in the constitutional amendment process at the time.