Our leaders will understand citizens’ plights better under parliamentary system- Obi

By Innocent Raphael

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has said the Nigerian leaders would understand the plights of citizens better if the country adpots parliamentary system of government.

Obi made this assertion during a lecture at Harvard Law School in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

He emphasized the need for more direct interaction between the president and citizens, proposing monthly interfaces.

Obi also highlighted the inefficiencies of Nigeria’s current presidential system, citing a lack of accountability and prolonged terms for leaders.

He stated: “What happens is, because of the presidential system that has no president in Nigeria today, we have a bad leader and he stays there for four years. When we have a parliamentary system, we can move a motion of no confidence within two or three years.

“If we are in a parliamentary system, a president will be a member of parliament.

“Today, if you elect me as president of Nigeria or governor, I can remove myself entirely from being answerable to the people, just hire a gang of lunatics, talking rubbish every day.”

Further underscoring the importance of direct accountability, Obi highlighted a crucial distinction: stating that in a parliamentary system, the president must answer for himself, thereby eliminating the need for intermediaries.

“So, we need a parliamentary system where the president will be a member of parliament and will at least, even if it is once a month, answer the people who elected him; because we didn’t elect all these gangsters. We elected somebody and we want the person to talk to us,” he said.

He also criticized the current presidential system in Nigeria, where he noted that leaders can avoid direct communication with citizens for extended periods.

Obi added that citizens elect individuals, not surrogates, and therefore, deserve direct engagement.