Nigeria’s Presidential System Failing – APC’s Tonye Cole Calls for Indigenous Political Reform

Tonye Cole, a prominent figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the party’s 2023 governorship candidate for Rivers State, has openly criticized Nigeria’s current presidential system of governance, stating that it is unsuitable for the country’s socio-political landscape.

During an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Cole asserted that Nigeria must reevaluate and possibly abandon its American-style presidential model. He emphasized that such borrowed systems do not align with African socio-cultural realities.

“This American-style presidential system isn’t working here. We’ve tried adopting the UK’s parliamentary system in the past, and now this. Neither fits our societal fabric,” Cole argued.

“Most African citizens are dissatisfied with the type of democracy they live under because it doesn’t reflect their values or identity. It is entirely at odds with who we are as a people,” he added.

Cole highlighted that other global powers like China and several Arab nations have developed governance structures that reflect their unique historical and cultural realities, rather than blindly adopting Western models.

He urged that Nigeria revisit its indigenous political frameworks that existed long before colonial rule, pointing out that these systems thrived even during difficult periods such as the transatlantic slave trade.

“We once had functioning political structures that aligned with our identity. Before colonization, there were governance systems that made sense within our communities. Why can’t we reclaim that now?” Cole questioned.

Cole further criticized the current system for fostering elitism and institutional failure. According to him, the presidential system has enabled manipulation by a small political elite and failed to establish accountability structures grounded in Nigeria’s social environment.

“We’re building institutions modeled after the British without considering whether our culture can sustain them. That’s a major reason these systems don’t hold up in Nigeria,” he concluded.

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• Indigenous political systems in pre-colonial Nigeria
• Challenges of presidential systems in Africa
• BBC Analysis: Why African democracies often face structural challenges