ZIK GBEMRE SPEAKS ON HOW NIGERIA’S EXPENSIVE DEMOCRACY INDUCES CORRUPTION AND GREED AMONG OFFICEHOLDERS

Even in the US, the president appoints/nominates Supreme Court judges and is taken to US Senate for confirmation. From my understanding, the US Supreme Court Judges are appointed from the two political parties Republican and Democrat. The appointment of Supreme Court judges in the US is more political than what we have in Nigeria.

All Federal judges in the US have no mandatory retirement age. They are appointed by the US president for life with confirmation by the US Senate according to Ballotpedia.

All federal political appointments are made by the president and confirmed by US Senate but the political appointees are loyal to the constitution and not individuals.

The Nigerian democracy as it is today is too expensive and costly. The presidential system of government is too costly for a developing nation like ours.

For one to be elected president, you have to have a presence in 36 states including Abuja. Building political structures in the entire country is too costly. Campaigns in the 36 states plus Abuja are too expensive. After winning the president will recoup the money spent.

The parliamentary system of government like what is practiced in the UK is cheaper and much easier to manage. The prime minister is an elected Member of Parliament, and Secretaries/under-Secretaries which is equivalent to the role of ministers/ministers of state is members of Parliament as well.

The prime minister is elected by the House of Parliament. The presidential system is too bogus and expansive in my opinion. The problem in Nigeria is the failure of the entire system.

The money involved to be elected a governor/president is much and plus the cost of litigation. After winning elections, election and pre-election matters will be taken from tribunals/courts to the Supreme Court.

Like Louis Farrakhan has said Democracy is a system of government that was forced on Africa. And even with the advancement in the US, it took a long time for blacks to have the right to vote.

Nigeria’s development was interrupted by the West. Don’t forget Africa was developing at its own pace before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th century and later the British that colonized Nigeria and other African countries.

We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes!