Presidential System Unsuitable for Nigeria – Tonye Cole

Former Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections, Tonye Cole, has called for a critical reassessment of Nigeria’s presidential system of government, arguing that it is unsuitable for the country’s socio-political realities.

Cole made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, where he asserted that imported political systems—whether presidential or parliamentary—have failed to align with Africa’s unique cultural and historical contexts.

“This American system that we call the presidential system in Nigeria, we need to go and readdress it,” Cole said. “We cannot import the parliamentary system of the UK and expect it to work here, and we cannot import a presidential system and expect it to function effectively either.”

He noted that most African nations struggle with democratic systems modeled after Western ideologies, which he described as “contrary to who we are.”

“Every African, in their country, if asked whether they are satisfied with their political and democratic systems, will say no,” he stated.

Citing the success of nations like China and several Arab countries that developed governance models tailored to their socio-political environments, Cole emphasized the need for Nigeria to follow a similar path. He argued that Nigeria once had indigenous political systems before colonization and must consider reviving those frameworks.

“Let us build an African, Nigerian-focused political system. We had our own systems even before the Europeans arrived—during the slave trade and colonization eras. So, what are we running away from? We know what to do,” he said.

The APC chieftain further criticized the exploitability of Nigeria’s current presidential structure, warning that it enables the concentration of power in the hands of a few and fails to build robust institutions capable of ensuring accountability.

He concluded that Nigeria’s political development must evolve organically, rooted in its cultural identity, rather than being modeled after foreign systems that do not reflect the nation’s realities.