From James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta
Former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of running what he described as government of ‘clientelism’, in which only his cronies benefit.
He made this remark yesterday at the Olusegun Obasanjo President Library, Abeokuta, venue of a two-day Atiku Abubakar policy review summit.
Abubakar noted that the presidential system of government under Jonathan had been turned to presidentialism, in which the president wields enormous power, where he favours only his cronies.
According to him, presidentialism means the systematic concentration of political power in the hands of one individual or a cabal.
He said, “As a result, effective accountability and representation through popular democratic participation is giving way to personal rule and single party dictatorships rooted on politics of Clientelism.
“Clientelism refers to the awarding of personal favours among patrimonial cronies. These favours take the form of public sector jobs, appointments, distribution of resources through licences, contracts and tax waivers.”
Abubakar, who spoke through the Director-General, Atiku Campaign Organisation, Prof. Babalola Borishade, said the cronies, in return, mobilise political support and loyalty for their patron, citing the example of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria.
While he noted that those who stayed out of this network, would not only remain excluded from the decision making process, but also from allocated benefits of democracy, he explained that this was the reason why more people surrendered principles so that they could be integrated into the network.
