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We must end winner takes all politics –Gov. Makinde
By Jude Opara, Abuja
The need to return the country to regionalism, also known as ‘True Federalism’ has been identified as the only way to guarantee a return to development and resourcefulness.
A former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi made the call on Tuesday at the public presentation of the book, Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments That Defined an Administration, written by former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
This is as Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state also warned that Nigeria’s culture of “winner-takes-all” is posing a serious threat to national cohesion, democratic stability and sustainable development as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.
Makinde who also spoke at the occasion said it was regrettable that while many ordinary Nigerians have agreed on the need to live together as one nation, the political elites are the ones causing divisions along ethnic, religious and partisan lines.
According to him, the elite-driven polarization, combined with government of exclusion, has deepened mistrust in the political system to the extent that most people are no longer enthusiastic.
“We must redesign our democracy so that even those who lose elections are not completely shut out,” he said, adding that inclusive governance would ease political tension and strengthen national cohesion.
The governor who also ruled out his possible defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) equally states that over centralisation of power at the federal level runs contrary to the federal ideals negotiated by Nigeria’s on the principles of federalism.
However, he argued that events that led to the civil war shifted the country toward a unitary system which he insists no longer addresses present days challenges.
“The problem we faced then was how to unite Nigeria after a civil war. That is not the same problem we are faced with today, Nigeria must now honestly identify its present challenges and design political arrangements that encourage healthy competition rather than political domination”.
Earlier, Prof. Afolabi who was the keynote Speaker identified weak institutions, poor adherence to the rule of law, electoral manipulations and judicial rascallity were largely responsible for Nigeria’s recurring governance crises.
“Nigeria is endowed with all sorts of resources, with intelligent and resourceful people. Before the colonial masters, we were all intelligent people but when we integrated, we thought diversity will be our strength.
“But over time, we have continued to emphasize our differences. Even some foreign countries have continued to express fears that our disintegrated will affect the rest of West Africa.
“The military brought unitary system of government, but subsequent constitutional amendments have found it difficult to pull away to the old system that encouraged development and growth.
“We are losing faith in the electoral system. Despite all promises that everything will work, we still have a good number of the population not trusting the system. We must all votes to count. The system where the election allows the winner to take all”.
In his welcome address, the author and former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said he wrote the book to put the question straight concerning the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari.
“In the last months of the Administration, we documented the achievements of the Buhari Administration through our ground-breaking Scorecard Series. We have also created a legacy portal, pmbscorecard.gov.ng, accessible from anywhere in the world, showcasing these achievements.
“President Buhari did his best under the banner of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and left the rest to posterity, which I am confident will be kind to him. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who inherited that mandate, is also doing his best under the same APC banner, and we must continue to give him our unfettered support.
“I sincerely hope this book sparks reflection, discussion and a deeper appreciation of the role of the media in shaping our times. May it encourage all of us to think critically about the stories we tell, the narratives we accept and the way we engage with the world around us”.
Also at the public presentation were; former National Chairman of the APC , Chief Bisi Akande, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, former governors, members of the National Assembly, former Ministers and members of the Diplomatic Corp.
