‘Nigeria needs a leader answerable to the people not a gang of lunatics talking rubbish’ – Peter Obi

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, has called for a total change in Nigeria’s style of governance from presidential system to parliamentary system.

He said the parliamentary system of government allows the president to communicate with the citizens often rather than hire “a gang of lunatics” to “talk rubbish”.

The former Anambra Governor was of the view that with a parliamentary system a president can be removed after a motion of no confidence has been moved within two or three years.

Speaking at the African Development Conference at Harvard Law School in Boston Massachusetts, USA on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, Obi noted that the president automatically becomes a member of parliament when elected which allows him time to speak and answer questions of the people.

He added that the presidential system brings about bad leaders who stays in power for four years without accountability.

Obi said;

“What happens is, because of the presidential system that has no president in Nigeria today, we have a bad leader and he stays there for four years. When we have a parliamentary system, we can move a motion of no confidence within two or three years" Obi said at a lecture at Harvard Law School in Boston, Massachusetts, USA on Tuesday, April 16.

“If we are in a parliamentary system, a president will be a member of parliament.

“Today, if you elect me as president of Nigeria or governor, I can remove myself entirely from being answerable to the people, just hire a gang of lunatics, talking rubbish every day.

“While, if it is a parliamentary system, during the president’s question time, he has to answer. He doesn’t have to hire anybody to speak for him.

“A president in Nigeria can decide not to talk to anybody for one year and nobody cares because he has hired all these people who do the talking. If you say anything, they call you names, they do this.

“So, we need a parliamentary system where the president will be a member of parliament and will at least, even if it is once a month, answer the people who elected him; because we didn’t elect all these gangsters. We elected somebody and we want the person to talk to us.”

How does a Parliamentary System have a President? Mr Peter Obi is never quick on the uptake. pic.twitter.com/41oWoRHKZq

— Jamaal Sheeth™️ (@SheethJamaal) April 16, 2024