…Blames Obasanjo For Godfatherism
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’Abba has raised alarm that lack of internal democracy in Nigeria’s political parties is responsible for the country’s socio-economic and poilital woes.
He accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo for institutionalizing godfatherims in Nigeria, pointing out that in Nigeria’s political system, mediocrity has taken the place of merit.
…Blames Obasanjo For Godfatherism
Na’Abba spoke to journalits at Kano Press Centre on Independence Day.
He also admitted that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has failed Nigerians.
The former Speaker said it was unfortunate that no party in Nigeria, including the ruling party is guided by a manifesto.
“Our best brains are becoming casualities; and they are the ones that understand the workings of democracy. People now engage themselves in sycophancy so that they can remain relevance in the scheme of things,”
Na’Abba lamented, noting that the greater number of those in political positions in the country got there through the back door.
He further noted that, “the situation in the country is so bad that people don’t ask who is elected, but who is given the party’s ticket,”adding that brains are no longer tested in the political arrangmment in Nigeria.
“I believe that the missing link is leadership. Elections in Nigeria must be free and anybody who wins must be allowed to take their mandate. The issue of the absence of internal democracy portends danger in Nigeria.
You see so many incompetencies in the administration of our country from the Local Governments to the Federal level,” said the former Speaker.
According to Na’Abba, Obasanjo’s highhandedness encouraged dictatorship and godfatherism not only in PDP, but in all the political parties in Nigeria, pointing out that, “in all honesty, since the inception of the Fourth Republic, in all the political parties, there is absolutely no internal democracy.
“While I was the Speaker of the House of Representatives, I did so much to entrench internal democracy—to see to it that the phenomenon does not continue, I did a lot, including even trying to impeach Chief Obasanjo.
“You see, anytime this problem of lack of internal democarcy is being discussed, Obasanjo’s name must be mentioned.He pocketed the PDP and planted his stooges as leaders and political office holders. He also planted his stooges in other political parties and caused confusion in the system.
“During Obasanjo’s tenure, every region in the country, including his own zone, the South-West, complained of marginalization. I am aware that Obasanjo’s project was to destabilize the North; and a number of the northern political leaders are helping him to achieve this agenda,” he stated.
Na’Abba regretted that 52 years after, Nigeria has continue to grapple with political and economic problems, urging Nigerians to rise up and fight against injustice and maladministration.
According to him, the successive governments since the Fourth Republic have been extravagant in appropriating public funds, just as he revealed that what Nigeria earned within 1999 to date is threefold more than what was earned between 1960 and 1999, adding that in the last 13 years of democracy, Nigerians are getting poorer despite the huge oil revenue.
On whether elective office holders or the party leadership are to be blamed over lack of implementaion of manifestoes by political parties, Na’Abba noted that the blame is symbiotic.
“Our political parties today operate without manifestoes because politics have been privatised. Nobody talks of party manifestoes. The failure in the system is symbiotic. It is both the failure of the President, governors and the party leadership,” Na’Abba noted.