A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’abba, has said that state governors constitute a serious threat to the nation’s democracy.
Na’abba said the governors had pocketed political parties and decided who would contest for positions in elections thereby crippling democracy and rotating power among themselves without considering competency.
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Na’abba, who was speaking at his residence in Kano when he received a delegation of the Na’abba Youth Organization, on a courtesy visit, said the citizens are now running away from politics as a result of what the governors are doing.
He said, “Since 1999 governors have been the problem of the country. They contributed to the death of democracy within the political parties. And when there are no elections within the parties, then incompetent leaders will emerge and that will affect the whole political system and the country’s development too. The governors have caused all these. They will hardly hold primaries. Rather they will ask you to go for consensus; which is wrong.
“If we really want to see changes in the country, we must change our democracy and give equal chances to all. Give chances for elections within parties so that the masses and the rich will have roles to play. Only that can bring changes. Not what they (governors) are doing. That will not lead us anywhere. Rather it will deteriorate the situation of the country.”
He further said that Nigerians, particularly the youths, had lost confidence in politicians, adding that only justice and truthful leadership would change their perception.
On why he returned to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the former speaker said, “When I realised that APC is not doing the right thing, I stepped aside. Later I was contacted by some of my associates to go back to where I belong; that was why I returned to PDP.”
Meanwhile, effort to get the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) to respond to the allegation was unsuccessful.
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