Senior Advocate of Nigeria Mike Ozekhome has expressed concern over the rush by political leaders to endorse President Bola Tinubu for a second term, arguing that such premature endorsements prevent the president from focusing on governance.
The senior advocate criticized what he described as unseemly political maneuvering occurring so early in the current administration during an interview with Channels TV. “We just finished one election; rather than settle down to govern, we are already looking forward to another election, with endorsements here and there for governorship candidates and Mr. President. People are falling over each other to endorse Mr. President, who has not been allowed yet to do his job for over two years. Bootlicking at its highest level,” the senior advocate said.
SAN Ozekhome also criticized the wave of political defections occurring across the country, particularly among governors who won elections on different party platforms. “Decampments, cross-carpeting by governors who won on the platform of a political party, throwing all morals and decency to the winds, and then crossing over to the opposite party because you want to come back,” he said.
The senior advocate attributed these political movements to a lack of ideological foundation among Nigerian politicians. Expressing deeper concern about Nigeria’s democratic trajectory, he warned against the emergence of a dominant single party system.
The senior advocate outlined the potential consequences of such political concentration in a single party. “You will see dictatorship because everybody will agree; the National Assembly, pocketed, will agree; the judiciary will be pocketed, and everybody will be saying ‘yes, yes, yes’. Dictatorship and absolute corruption, which can no longer be checked, because everybody is there,” he warned.
Drawing from historical precedent, Ozekhome predicted eventual collapse for any party that achieves overwhelming dominance. He referenced the People’s Democratic Party’s experience during its 16-year rule as a cautionary example. The senior advocate highlighted how political dominance led to arrogance within the former ruling party.
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