How Governors’ Unsolicited “Homage” Makes Nigeria’s President Powers Limitless

By Dirisu Yakubu

Federalism, a mode of governance wherein power is constitutionally shared between a central (federal) government and government of the federating units (component states) has been hailed by scholars as a satisfactory system that suits the peculiarities of nations with complex diversities. It is based upon democratic rules and institutions in which power to govern are shared between national and state governments, thus, creating a federation. 

For Nigeria, a country with over 350 ethnic groups and a population hovering between 180 to 200 million; federalism appears seems the best form of government to cater for the varying interests of people forced to come together by a combination of providence and European imperialism. While on paper it is apt to refer to power relationship between states and the central government as an instance of federalism; same cannot be said in practice given developments in other countries of the world where the concept holds sway. Today, those in the vanguard for a return to true federalism are quick to argue that Nigeria and federalism have become like science and religion: arch enemies and unmixable.

In a country where history, peculiarities and facts collide, flooding the senses, scholars had time and again, called for the return to true federalism, many of them citing the First Republic when the Northern, Eastern and Western Regions took advantage of their economies of scales to develop at their respective paces, contributing an agreed percentages of their Gross Domestic Product, GDP to the centre. In that epoch, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr. Michael Okpara, Premiers of the Northern, Western and Eastern Regions respectively held their heads high without any recourse to having to visit the then Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa in Lagos, in a demonstration of loyalty.

Since the return to democracy more than 20 years ago, governors including those elected on the platforms of political parties different from that of the President have seen one reason or the other to pay homage to the Commander-in-Chief. In most cases, the reasons are often absurd, if not outright ridiculous.

What started while the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was in power has failed to take a back seat with elected governors turning Aso Rock into a Mecca of sort, either seeking the “cooperation” of the President for free and fair elections or simply to “see the father of the nation (whatever that means).”

A few weeks to the governorship election in Anambra state in 2017, Governor Willie Obiano elected on the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, platform was at the Villa to see President Muhammadu Buhari and when cornered by reporters, had this to say: “He (President Buhari) likes governors who work hard, who are delivering what people can see and are delivering dividends of democracy to their people. That is what the President wants.” One would have been forgiven for mistaking the governor for a Presidential spokesman.

A few months ago, it was the turn of Senator Douye Diri, who became governor of Bayelsa state only after the Supreme Court nullified the election of David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress, APC, owing to the controversy occasioned by the multiple identity of his running mate, Degi Biobarakuma.

Diri, who flew the flag of the PDP had earlier accepted his fate as pundits blamed a number of factors for his woes including the manner the then outgoing governor, Seriake Dickson superintended over the primaries and President Goodluck Jonathan’s alleged aloofness to the affairs of the party.

Shortly after settling down in office following the miraculous turn of events, the new governor was at the Villa for audience with Mr. President but the patronizing allusion of being received like one of the “sons” of Buhari, left not a few asking the question: are elected government officials received differently at the Villa?

Hear Governor Diri, “Since I resumed as Governor of Bayelsa State, precisely on the 14th of February, I have not come to see the father of the nation. Today I just did that: to come and see the father of our country and to work with the federal government of Nigeria in ensuring peace and stability in my state and ensuring the development of my state.

“Mr. President received me as one of his sons, as a state governor and the reception was very warm. He went ahead to advice that he was happy that I came and that he was happy with the way I have started. He went on to say he has read about all the statements that I have made and the security so far in Bayelsa.

“He promised as one of his sons, a state like Bayelsa that is critical to the security and peace in the Niger Delta that he was prepared to also work with me.” Hmmmn!

Famed for his constant criticisms of the Buhari-led government, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state stunned millions of Nigerians recently when he congratulated President Buhari upon his victory at the Supreme Court. Wike, a member and financier of the PDP, did not tread the path of the party which failed to concede victory but accepted the verdict of the apex court. However, Wike was to chide his fellows PDP governors, accusing them of sneaking to congratulate the first citizen at night.

“I am sure all of you are surprised that I congratulated Buhari. Is it not good for me to congratulate him than to go to his house in the night?” he asked his audience at a funeral ceremony in the oil-rich state.

“So many PDP governors go to see him (Buhari) in his house in the night. I have never gone and I will not go,” the governor added. So, are these visits, day or nocturnal, part of the principles of federalism or simply an artificial creation intended to preserve an interest, no matter how narrowly defined?

Professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi told yours truly that what is being practiced in Nigeria is difficult to be described as a federal system. According to him, the pilgrimage to Aso Rock negates the vision of the nation’s founding fathers, many of whom would the turning in their graves today with the way things have turned since their transition.

Hear Utomi, “It is difficult to understand the system of government being practiced in Nigeria. The first question to ask is what is the purpose of a system of government? It should ordinarily be an optimal way of solving problems for the people. Whether what we have is solving the problems Nigerians have should then determine how to analyze its efficacy and effectiveness.

“Nigeria is marked by enormous diversity and differences from extreme poverty to middle class living in spatial distribution from North-East to South-East; Low literacy from North-West to near universal primary education in the South-West, etc. Flora and fauna vary markedly and would this need different policy choice for dealing with issues?

“The prebendal journey to the villa on every subject is not only a betrayal of the founding fathers of Nigeria but an indication the governors misunderstand their roles and are treacherous to the Constitution of Nigeria."

Like Utomi, Professor of Political Science and former Minister of Education, Tunde Adeniran berated governors with the habit of visiting Abuja at the slightest opportunity and tasked them to brace up to the challenge of governing their respective states.

“It is a real mockery in a Presidential democracy of a federal system of government. It is a clear evidence of the fact that many of them do not understand or appreciate the enormous work they have to do in their states. They also don't seem to care that the President should not be squandering precious time on the frivolity of receiving state governors on courtesy calls and social visits,” he noted.

Another Professor of Political Science and Chieftain of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Professor Rufai Alkali however do not see anything wrong with governors visiting the President, provided the significance of such visits would impact positively on their states.

According to him, the fact that the Constitution envisages collaboration between the federal and state governments in the exercise of their concurrent powers; interface between them cannot be dismissed.

“Nigeria is a peculiar country and we must understand that our governors need the cooperation of the federal government, or if you like, the cooperation of Mr. President in many areas. For instance, governors are the chief security officers in their states but you and I know that security is the exclusive preserve of the federal government. So, there is nothing wrong for instance, if a governor visits the President to brief him of the steps he is taking to complement what the federal government is doing to maintain peace, law and order in that state.

“Elections have been a source of worry for Nigerians for long. Our quest for free and fair elections is fallout of the experiences we have had over time. Ballot boxes snatching, shooting, killings and what have you have been constant features of our electioneering history. What this means is that governors, particularly those who are about to have elections conducted in their states, would see it as a duty to approach the federal government on the need for rules of engagement to be obeyed and all that.

“I agree that we will get there someday, I think we are not doing badly at the moment,” Alkali stated.  

In the United States of America which Nigeria models its system after, the outbreak of the Coronavirus has provided sufficient food for thought. The US with over 592,743 cases of the virus and over 25, 239 deaths, is battling like the rest of the world, to curtail the spread of the virus. With the states lockdown as well, minimal improvement in the area of recovery in recent days has seen some governors, particularly the Democrats flirting with the idea of reopening their states and this has brought them into a feud with President Donald Trump.

Addressing a press conference earlier in the week, Trump said that “when somebody is the President of the United States, the authority is total,” and fired a shot at Democrat governors threatening to reopen their states saying “they can’t do anything without the approval of the President of the United States.

On Tuesday, the social media savvy President took to Twitter to note that deciding when to reopen the states is “the decision of the President,” not the governors; a development that earned him (Trump) a verbal rebuke from Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York state. In a sharp rebuke of the position of Trump, Governor Cuomo reminded him that Americans elected a President, not a monarch whose orders are likely to go unquestioned. “We don’t have a king, we have a President,” the governor fired back.

Like Professor Alkali stated, it appears time would come for the Nigeria’s system to morph into a realm where governors would no longer see themselves as political apprentices who have to be schooled by the highest office holder in the land, on how their states should be governed.