Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Monday said President Goodluck Jonathan was running a government of ‘clientelism’ and nepotism, which benefits only his cronies and family.
Abubakar also said the presidential system of government under Jonathan has been turned to presidentialism, in which the president wields enormous power, where he favours only his cronies.
The former Vice President stated this at a press conference held at the Olusegun Obasanjo President Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State to herald a two-day Atiku Abubakar Policy Review Summit.
Abubakar, who spoke through the Director-General of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, Prof. Babalola Borishade, lamented that the country was being misgoverned by the present administration.
According to him, presidentialism means the systematic concentration of political power in the hands of one individual or a cabal.
He said: “As a result, effective accountability and representation through popular democratic participation is giving way to personal rule and single party dictatorships rooted on politics of Clientelism.
“Clientelism refers to the awarding of personal favours among patrimonial cronies. These favours take the form of public sector jobs, appointments, distribution of resources through licences, contracts and tax wavers.
“Corruption, nepotism and official impunity have brought our country down to the bottom 3 per cent in the world in terms of political stability.
“In essence, what we have now in Nigeria is a form of patrimonial democracy. This is posing serious threats to the durability of democracy.
“Not only because it erodes civil liberties of citizens, thus creating a culture of political apathy and disenchantment among them, it also severely limits the extent to which Government can be pressed to be responsive and accountable towards the citizens.
“Thus, for both of those who are inside and outside the network, the future is bleak.”
Abubakar said Nigerians need democracy of substance that would respond to their socio-economic demands and bring about improvements in their living conditions.
He said that was the aim of the policy review by resource persons.
Speaking on his desire to govern the country, Abubakar said the country should not be ruled by greenhorns, adding that only the experienced knows what governance means.
According to him, people with experienced should be allowed to govern because the country needs people with wealth of experience.
Vanguard.
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