Parliamentary System Best for Nigeria, Says Former Governor Rauf Aregbesola

Former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, who is also the immediate past Minister of Interior has stated that the calls for Nigeria to ditch the presidential system of government and return to the parliamentary system seem to be the best option for the most populated Africa country. According to the former governor, he disagrees with Nigeria’s current executive structure of governance.

The national discussion on the home-grown parliamentary system was held in Abuja on Monday, he claimed. Despite expressing his disapproval of the current executive system of administration in Nigeria, Aregbesola maintained that the parliamentary system is the most appropriate for a nation such as Nigeria.

“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. 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,” Aregbesola said.

Some members of the House of Representatives introduced a bill in February 2024 that would change the 1999 Constitution to move away from the current presidential style of government towards a parliamentary system.
The group, which consists of roughly 60 legislators, claims that the change is now required to lower government expenses considering declining revenue.

Titled, ‘The Bills Proposing Constitutional Alterations for a Transition To Parliamentary System of Government,’ the bill was sponsored by the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, and 59 others. The bill was read on the floor of the House during plenary session in Abuja on Wednesday, February 14, 2024.

“Today, we stand on the cusp of history, as lawmakers from all parties and regions come together to present bills proposing Constitutional Alterations that seek a transition to Parliamentary System of Government,” said Abdussamad Dasuki, spokesman for the Parliamentary Bill Sponsors.

He continued by saying that, despite multiple constitutional amendments to rectify the flaws of a system that has prevented the country from realising its full potential, the flaws in the presidential system of government have become obvious to everyone over time.