Imported Presidential System Won’t Work in Nigeria – Tony Cole
APC Candidate Criticizes Nigeria’s Governance Model
Tony Cole, the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Rivers State during the 2023 elections, has declared that Nigeria’s imported presidential system of government is fundamentally flawed and unsustainable.
The business mogul and politician made these remarks during an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today program, where he analyzed the nation’s political challenges.
System Designed for Exploitation
Cole argued that Nigeria’s current governance structure was intentionally designed to benefit a select few rather than serve the populace. “This American system that is called the presidential system in Nigeria we need to go and address it,” he stated emphatically.
He drew parallels with other failed attempts to transplant foreign systems: “We cannot import a parliamentary system from the UK and work here. We cannot import a presidential system; it will not work here as in every African country.”
Cultural Incompatibility of Governance Models
The APC stalwart highlighted the cultural mismatch between Nigeria’s societal values and the imported systems. “Are we satisfied with the system and democracy we adapted? No, because it is contrary to who we are,” Cole remarked.
He particularly criticized the vulnerability of the current structure: “The system can be easily exploited by a few. With this system you have not built institutions you can hold accountable. The institutions are modelled along the British system. The British system is not our system.”
Nigeria’s Continental Leadership Potential
Cole emphasized Nigeria’s potential to lead Africa if it establishes the right governance framework. “You should do two clear things. First of all, position Nigeria as a serious negotiator on the table,” he advised.
The politician painted a vision of Nigeria’s continental influence: “One thing we must understand is that, if Nigeria gets it right, not only the sub-region, the whole of Africa will begin to pay attention. So Nigeria commands influence. But when you are commanding influence, you don’t go begging.”
He concluded with a call for national self-determination: “So, you have a clear issue of what is good for us.”
Credit: Daily Trust