Tonye Cole, the 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has called for a complete restructuring of Nigeria’s political framework, stating that the country must abandon imported governance models in favor of a system rooted in African and Nigerian realities.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Cole said the presidential system currently practiced in Nigeria modeled after the United States is fundamentally incompatible with the country’s unique cultural and societal landscape.
“This American system that we call a presidential system in Nigeria, we need to go and readdress it,” Cole asserted. “We cannot import the parliamentary system of the UK and it will work here, we cannot import a presidential system, it will not work here.”
He argued that the discontent with governance seen across African countries is a clear sign that foreign political structures do not serve the interests or values of the people.
“Every African in their country, are they satisfied with the political system and democracy they have? They will tell you no because it is contrary to who we are, absolutely contrary,” he said.
Cole pointed to countries like China and several Arab nations as examples where indigenous political models, rather than Western templates, have yielded stability and growth. He urged Nigeria to rediscover its pre-colonial systems of governance and build a model that reflects its people’s history, culture, and values.
“Let us build an African, Nigerian-focused political system. We had a political system before colonization. Even during the slave trade era, we governed ourselves. So, what are we running away from?” he questioned.
He also condemned the existing presidential structure for concentrating power in the hands of a few, resulting in weakened institutions and limited accountability.
“Our system is vulnerable to abuse. We copy the institutions of the UK, but they don’t function here because our cultural environment is different. That’s why we’re failing,” Cole added.
The APC chieftain’s call adds to the growing national discourse on the need for constitutional and political reforms tailored to Nigeria’s socio-political realities.
