Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has publicly accused Nigerian politicians of hypocrisy for campaigning on the platform of federalism only to abandon its principles entirely once they secure power.
He made these remarks on Friday during an interactive session held in Owerri, Imo State, where he firmly insisted that Nigeria was fundamentally founded as a federation.
El-Rufai lamented that despite this foundational structure, successive governments have consistently adopted a highly centralized, unitary system of governance.
He argued that this approach has severely undermined the nation’s development and is a betrayal of a core political promise. He pointedly observed that federalism is a concept frequently touted by those seeking power, who then promptly forget about it once they are suitably empowered.
The former governor contrasted the present system with the First Republic, crediting federalism from that era with fostering inter-ethnic unity, democratic stability, and significant socio-economic progress.
He blamed the shift towards extreme centralization that began in the 1970s for eroding these critical gains. El-Rufai contended that the Federal Government has accumulated an excessive concentration of powers and resources, leading to a situation where it is overburdened and ineffective, attempting to do too much but accomplishing too little well.
He advocated for the devolution of more responsibilities, including the critical issue of policing, to the state level.
While he welcomed recent constitutional amendments that moved electricity and railways to the concurrent list, he called for more comprehensive reforms. El-Rufai specifically urged for the implementation of the recommendations from the 2018 APC Committee on True Federalism, which he had chaired, concluding that for the nation to move forward together, it must strive to be a merit-based nation that empowers its constituent parts.
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cc: Daily Post NG
