…Says He Was Robbed Of Victory In 1999 Presidential Election
Chief Olu Falae, former Secretary of Government of the Federation (SGF), has said that the presidential system of government is not suitable for a multi-ethnic state like Nigeria, thereby making a case for a parliamentary system of government.
Falae, who spoke on Arise TV on Thursday in commemoration of 2025 Democracy Day, listed some of the flaws in the presidential system of government.
The former Minister of Finance also said that he won the 1999 presidential election but was robbed of victory by those in authority who didn’t feel comfortable with him becoming the president at that time.
He said, “The parliamentary system is by far more suitable for a multi ethnic country like Nigeria. It’s more affordable to the Nigerian economy. We were at the national conference where I had the privilege of leading the Yoruba delegation.
“We made a very strong case for the parliamentary system. First of all the parliamentary system gives power and authority to the collective cabinet. The cabinet features ministers who must first of all be elected as members of the legislature before they can become ministers. In the presidential system the president can appoint anybody whether he’s qualified or not and sack him as he wishes. But in the parliamentary system you must have been elected by the people. You must have been accepted as a political leader in your constituency before you can be a minister. Number two, unless you are a multi-billionaire today, you cannot try to be a president or even a governor. In the parliamentary system, all you have to do is to win an election as a member of the House of Representatives, and if your party happens to have the majority in that House, then that majority will appoint you as the Prime Minister and Head of Government.
“In the Parliamentary system the Prime Minister is a member of the legislature. The Prime Minister has to carry along his colleagues in the house. If he fails, then they can pass a vote of no confidence and remove him. The House cannot pass a vote of no confidence to remove the president. The presidential system is far inferior and less desirable to this type of culture
Speaking about the flaws in Nigeria’s electoral system, he said, “In the 2003 general elections, I saw killings all over the country, and I remember when Yar’adua became president, he publicly admitted that he didn’t think the result was what it ought to be. He was horrified by the level of rigging. I don’t think that we have had any election that was free and fair. In an election, somebody must emerge, so I believe that, by the doctrine of necessity, to form a government, we have continued to stagger on, accepting substandard election results. We will put our acts together and get an acceptable democracy.
“We have not had any election that was not followed by long drawn electoral petitions. I’m not saying people shouldn’t go to court. I went to court in 1993 but I stopped short of the Supreme Court for every good reason. It has become the habit in Nigeria that as you’re preparing for elections you’re also preparing for a long drawn election petition, accessing your lawyers and raising funds, that shouldn’t be the case
Speaking further, he said, “There are should be lots to be improved before we can get an acceptable democracy, unfortunately the sole determinant of who wins an election is money. Money is always a necessity for any enterprise, but shouldn’t be the only factor that determines an election. It’s no longer about manifestoes, but manifesto ought to be the foundation of democracy.
“The party should state subjectively what its manifesto is and that should enable it to compete for the votes of the people but it’s no longer so. Once money becomes the ultimate there’s a problem because everything has a price.”
