A former Acting National Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Chief Alani Bankole, has stated that democracy is not the best system of government for Nigeria.
Bankole, who is the father of a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, said, however, that Nigeria must operate a system of government different from military rule.
According to him, such system of government must consider the peculiarities of Nigerians and must be well suited to resolve the nation’s challenges.
Bankole spoke on Friday, shortly after he was unveiled by the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, as the Apena of Egbaland at the Ake Palace, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Bankole noted that for the nation to progress, Nigeria must build strong institutions that would support good governance.
His words, “I do not agree that democracy is the best for Nigeria. In Saudi Arabia there is no democracy, the people there are very happy, they are making progress; their resources are properly distributed.
“However, military government is not an alternative to democracy, but I think like the world that is changing, I think people should start to think about the best system of government other than democracy, but definitely not autocracy.”
The octogenarian maintained that the only thing good about democracy is the fact that political leaders can never rule forever.
He noted that the way democracy is being practised in America is different from the way it is practiced in the United Kingdom, adding that “the two are quite different from the way we practice it in Africa because there are institutions of checks and balances which are always in the constitutions of those countries”.
He said Nigeria has not developed enough to be able to build such institutions of checks and balances.
Speaking, the Alake of Egbaland reiterated his call for constitutional roles for traditional rulers in Nigeria, saying monarchs cannot afford to be onlookers in the affairs of the nation.
“If traditional rulers become onlookers, there will be a lot of chaos all over the country. We are part and parcel of maintaining peace in the country and we must be seen to be performing that role,” Alake opined.
