By Cephas Chijindu Cephas
A former presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Nnamdi Onochie has advocated the return of Nigerian political structure to the parliamentary system of government.
The former party chieftain was baring his mind on the backdrops of the recent visit by a former vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar to Asaba in Delta state earlier this month on a presidential campaign tour to the state.
Onochie maintained the current Nigeria political structure must be returned to the parliamentary system which according to him, is much less costly.
He explained, “In a new unicameral 7-year mandatory single tenured legislature, a prime minister first elected from his federal constituency, will be chosen by his majority party caucus as prime minister, while the minority party will choose a ceremonial president from the opposite zone, such that a christian southerner would in 2023 be prime minister and a northern Muslim would be the ceremonial president, rotated in a single tenure of 7 mandatory years”.
The former presidential aspirant further reiterated that return of Nigeria to parliamentary system of government would stabilize and develop the country and as well unite her people to guarantee rapid transformation in every important aspects and livelihood of the country.
While further emphasizing on the benefits of Nigeria’s return to parliamentary system of government in order to cut down costs of current governance in Nigeria, Orefor Onochie who was also an former Nigerian ambassador to Algeria and Philippines, also criticized the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and insisted that he lacked needed capacity to stabilize and unite the country.
“Atiku Abubakar will not accept a country based on this paradigm, and Nigerians should not vote for him at the election of february 25, 2023,” he stated.
Continuing, his words: “other governance policies articulated in Asaba by Atiku Abubakar in electricity generation, education and medical health services will fail and will not meet the present demands and needs of Nigerians. Atiku Abubakar has simply forgot any pronouncement dealing with the rising cost of living, and spiraling inflation in Nigeria.
“Same for medical services, to reduce social hardships. Atiku Abubakar articulated a policy that is not capable of restoring parity to Nigeria’s forex market. With respect to petrol price. Atiku Abubakar will not defend SUBSIDY, and reduce the per liter price to N75.00, rather he will increase petrol price to N480.00 per liter, that will destroy the economy, by taking sides with the petrol cabal in NNPC”.
Onochie however maintained it would amount futile to elect Atiku as Nigerian president in the upcoming election and further submitted that the PDP presidential candidate cannot end current problems of the country, and the menaces of boko haram, fulani herdsmen, unknown gunmen, bandits, separatism, skyrocketing inflation, petrol/ new naira notes scarcity will persist.