Afenifere, the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organization, has commended the National Assembly for acknowledging the need to reduce governance costs and restructure Nigeria’s political system.
The organization expressed its approval of the proposed shift from a presidential to a parliamentary system of government.
In a press statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere welcomed the move but emphasized the necessity for more comprehensive changes beyond shifting from one system to another.
Ajayi stated that there is a fundamental need for the country to return to the arrangement in place before the military intervention in 1966.
While a bill seeking to change Nigeria’s governance system from presidential to parliamentary passed its first reading in the House of Representatives, Afenifere argued that the country’s socio-political challenges go beyond the system of government and are deeply rooted in its structure.
The organization insisted on the importance of restructuring the country, emphasizing that any constitutional tinkering should address the existing structural issues to avoid being merely cosmetic.
Afenifere’s Publicity Secretary commended the lawmakers for recognizing the effectiveness of governance during the First Republic and encouraged a holistic approach to restructuring that encompasses both governance and structural changes.
