Nigeria’s Political System Is ‘Very Dysfunctional, Counterproductive’ – Oyebode

A professor of law, Akin Oyebode, has faulted the political system in the country, 21 years after the return to civil rule.

Speaking during his appearance on Channels TV’s Democracy Day programme on Friday, he believes the present system is counterproductive for the nation’s development.

Assessing the nation’s democracy since 1999, Professor Oyebode said, “I think this is a work in progress.”

“The question of the Nigerian political system; it’s problematic, it’s an ongoing issue.”

“The word restructuring might be problematic to some people but to most objective observers, the system we are operating is very dysfunctional and counterproductive,” he added.

The professor of law recalled that he was among the over 400 delegates who attended the 2014 National Conference (CONFAB) organised by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to him, the question of the nature of the polity and what needed to be done to ameliorate its dysfunctionality resonated very loudly at the event, but nothing has yet to be done six years later.

Professor Oyebode stressed that it was not the duty of the National Assembly to create a national constitution.

He said, “The CONFAB came up with over 600 resolutions, but nothing has been done to date to effectuate those recommendations which would have made the Nigerian polity a little bit easier to understand to enhance its functionality.

“If you don’t want to touch the recommendations of the CONFAB, then you need another forum, not the National Assembly.

“The National Assembly is to make laws for the peace, order, and good governance of Nigeria; it is not a constituent assembly. It is neither the place nor the role, or function of the National Assembly to give us a constitution.”