Former AGF Condemns Presidential System Of Governance, Says It Promotes Dictatorship

A former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Kanu Agabi, has said that the presidential system of government breeds dictatorship.

He stated this while speaking at the 23rd Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture, titled: ‘Nigeria’s pathways: Diagnosis and the prescriptions,’ as part of activities to mark the 79 birthday of Bishop Mike Okonkwo.

Agabi warned that God was losing patience with the prayers of Nigeria as a nation on how to find solutions to the numerous problems facing the country.

He explained that the tenets of the country required radical changes.

The lawyer said: “We must make ourselves agents of the required change. And if we fail to do our duty, no one is going to do it for us.”

According to him, the presidential system Nigeria operates promotes dictatorship under the current constitution because all the executive powers are vested in the hands of one man.

He asserted the original reason the framers of the constitution vested executive powers on a president is for the occupier to bond the nation together.

Agabi acknowledged Nigeria as a praying nation but stressed that prayers alone would not help the country’s current situation, insisting that it is time to act.

According to him, “We are experimenting with a system of government and law that has been in operation in other countries for hundreds of years. We are trying to do things by ourselves. In doing so, we have often had to rely on people that are not qualified.

“Since then, we appear to have become the slaves of our own leaders, who for love of gold and silver, have taken it upon themselves to oppress the people with corruption in all its forms.”

On free and fair elections, Agabi said when political parties go into election determined to employ the most inferior methods to win, the poll would not be free and fair.

He warned: “We cannot go to heaven to bring down the angels to conduct our elections. There is little the Independent National Electoral Commission can do if those who are engaged in the elections are determined to employ unfair methods.”