Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, a founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum, has cautioned President-elect Bola Tinubu not to give in to pressure to form a government of national unity.
An expansive coalition made up of all parties (or all major parties), known as a national unity government or government of national unity, is typically formed during a time of war or other serious national emergency.
The elder statesman issued the warning during a Wednesday interview at his Abuja home.
Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat his closest rivals, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party’s Peter Obi who had 6,984,520 and 6,101,533 votes respectively.
Hours after the former Lagos State governor was announced as winner of the presidential election, political analysts had suggested that he adopts a unity government to douse the post-election tension and assuage frayed nerves.
A former Governor of Ekiti State and immediate past chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, also drummed support for the system of government on Wednesday.
But Yakasai kicked against the recommendation, saying it is not good for the development of democracy in any given society.
While likening governance to construction of a house, the ACF chieftain said that it is even unhealthier to overload an incoming administration with unrealistic proposals.
He said, “No, I won’t advise Tinubu to run any government of national unity. I want democracy to develop. Democracy is a business of competition. Repeal competition from democracy, you have killed democracy. Let everybody come with his own programme.
“After all, the electorate voted for him. Let him put his programme into action. And where he concludes his own part, let the man coming after him build from where the previous man stopped. This is how you develop a country.
“And, in fact, this is how this house we are staying was built. They did the foundation, after then structure, vanishing of the house, painting and the rest of them. That is how you practice democracy. This is how it should also be done in nation building. It is what people all over the world are doing and this is what we should be doing.”
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