How governors ruined our democracy – Na’Abba

A former speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’Abba, has lampooned governors in the country saying they have ruined democracy.

Na’Abba, while speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Tuesday, said state governors have hijacked democracy, manipulating primaries of their political parties for their cronies to emerge.

• World Bank counters FG, says 7m Nigerians plunged into poverty
  Kidnappers hold district head, release wives after N5m ransom in Niger

“The governors have drawn a line in politics in which if you are not their boy you won’t become anybody or get elected at all levels. This is happening in both the PDP and APC.

“Democracy should always give room for interaction among people and they should be allowed to vote the right person they want. But the governors have since changed that, there is no democracy in Nigeria presently,” he said.

He added that the governors have also blocked chances for the youth to participate in elections “which is a great threat on the future of the country.”

Reacting to a question on his political affiliation, Na’Abba said he does not belong to any political party.

“I spent many years in PDP and later joined APC, but I had to quit them all because they are not practising democracy. No free and fair elections in the whole of the system and I cannot join a party where there is no justice and fairness,” he said.

Lamenting the failure of the present administration to heed to advice, Na’Abba said, “We have severally advised the government either individually or in groups but they do not listen.”