Ango Abdullahi Endorses Shift Back to Parliamentary Government

• Professor Ango Abdullahi supports the House of Representatives’ move to revert Nigeria to a parliamentary system of governance
• Abdullahi highlights the parliamentary system’s potential to enhance accountability and deliver quality leadership compared to the presidential model

Professor Ango Abdullahi, a prominent figure in Northern Nigeria, lends his support to the House of Representatives’ initiative to revert Nigeria to a parliamentary system of governance, asserting it as the optimal choice for the nation.

Abdullahi expressed his endorsement during a visit from members of the House of Representatives championing the bill for the country’s return to the parliamentary system. Representatives Abdulsamad Dasuki and Wale Raji led the delegation to his Abuja residence over the weekend.

Reflecting on his experience as a member of the First Republic parliament, Abdullahi highlighted the potential of the parliamentary system to foster greater accountability and deliver quality leadership to the populace.

He criticized the military’s influence on the decision-making process of the 1976/1977 Constituent Assembly, which led to the adoption of either the French or American presidential governance model.

Abdullahi contended that the parliamentary system, operational in 1963, benefitted all citizens, unlike the current presidential system, which, he believes, has failed to meet expectations over the past 24 years.

Expressing his unequivocal opposition to the presidential system, Abdullahi described it as unsuitable not only for Nigeria but for any nation amidst the “reckless, greedy Western world.”

He commended the lawmakers for their advocacy to reinstate the parliamentary system, pledging unwavering support for its realization.

In his remarks, Representative Wale Raji elucidated that they sponsored the bill due to the advantages of the parliamentary system over the presidential model.