Nigeria’s democracy not working..Bafarawa

Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, a former Sokoto State governor, in this interview says Nigeria´s democracy is not working because political institutions are not doing their work. He insists that political parties should play the role of an umpire to make the system effective.

He said, "The problems of democracy in Nigeria are only peculiar to Nigeria. It is not world politics, because we are playing the game without an umpire. What I am trying to say is that a game without an umpire is that to get the essence of any political democracy, there must be disciplined political parties."

"Parties are the umpires. When you are elected as either a governor, as a president or whatever elective office you contested under the platform of the party, you are just a representative of that party. Therefore, the manifesto of that political party is the one the president or governor is supposed to start implementing. In the event of not following the manifesto, the umpire, the leadership of the party will blow the whistle to Mr President or the governor."

"But here in Nigeria politics, when you are the president, you are the national chairman of the party. when you are the governor, you are the State Chairman of the party, so you are player and the umpire. Any game that is played without an umpire will not stand unless we go back to the grassroots of politics."

"That is where we will have a formidable party with strong leadership that can caution the president or the governors and they will strictly follow the manifesto, the basis for which INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) registered all political parties."

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