Tonye Cole, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State during the 2023 general elections, has called for a fundamental review of Nigeria’s political system, insisting that the current presidential model is unsuitable for the country.
Speaking on Politics Today, a programme aired on Channels Television, Cole argued that Nigeria must move away from adopting Western systems of governance and instead embrace a structure rooted in its own history and cultural identity.
“This American system that we call the Presidential system in Nigeria — we need to readdress it,” he stated. “We cannot import the parliamentary system of the UK and expect it to work here; we cannot import the presidential system and expect it to work either.”
Cole emphasized that many Africans are dissatisfied with the systems of government practiced in their countries because those models often conflict with indigenous values and governance traditions.
Citing the examples of Arab nations and China, he noted that successful nations tend to develop political structures tailored to their unique contexts rather than adopting wholesale foreign systems.
“We had a political system before colonization — even during the slave trade. So why are we running away from it? Let us build an African, Nigerian-focused political system. We know what to do,” he said.
The former APC candidate further explained that the current presidential system allows for excessive concentration of power and lacks the institutional strength to ensure accountability. He added that many of the institutions being built today are modeled after the British system, which he believes does not align with Nigeria’s cultural realities.
According to Cole, a truly functional political structure in Nigeria must reflect its indigenous heritage and communal governance traditions in order to be effective and inclusive.
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