Professor Anthony Kila, a distinguished expert in Strategy and development and Director-General/Founder of the Commonwealth Institute for Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), has revealed that decentralising power from the federal center to the states or regions is key to overcoming many of Nigeria’s challenges.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, Prof. Kila argued that decentralisation would drive the country’s development more effectively than the proposed rotational presidency, which he referred to as a “turn-by-turn” presidency.
According to Kila, the intense competition among regions and states to produce the president stems from the excessive concentration of power at the centre. By decentralising power, states and regions would be empowered to foster development independently, reducing the clamour for the presidency.
“Every region and even state is desperate to produce the president because the centre is too strong and attractive,” Kila noted. “Decentralisation would discourage these agitations as it empowers local units to deliver development.”
Kila criticised the concept of a rotational presidency, warning that it could lead to generational apathy and hinder nation-building efforts. He emphasised the need for strong states and regions, suggesting that when local entities are empowered, the central government becomes less of a focal point.
“What we need is stronger states or regions. When these local entities are strong and the centre is weak, people will no longer fixate on the central government,” he explained.
Kila also called for a diversification of aspirations among Nigerians, urging a cultural shift where professions outside politics are valued and pursued with equal vigour.
“We need to let children grow up aspiring to be journalists, judges, painters, teachers, and manufacturers, making these professions as important as the presidency,” he said. “This would reduce the attraction of becoming a politician or president.”
He further stated that a rotational presidency, despite being well-intentioned, could have dangerous consequences and foster generational inequality.
“Those advocating for a rotational presidency have sadly concluded that it’s impossible to build a nation where everyone is one, regardless of tribe or ethnic background,” Kila observed. “This idea mistakenly assumes that the country’s problems can be solved by a ‘turn-by-turn’ presidency.”
He lamented that the political class has failed to build a unified nation since independence in 1960, arguing that a rotational presidency would only exacerbate ethnic divisions and undermine competence.
Kila illustrated the impracticality of a rotational presidency with a hypothetical scenario: “Nigeria has six zones. If each zone has a single six-year term, a child born today would have to wait 36 years to see someone from their zone become president again. This contradicts the democratic principles of equality and merit.”
He concluded by emphasizing the importance of democracy being rooted in equality, merit, and fairness, warning that prioritizing ethnicity and religion over these principles would undermine democracy’s essence.
This discussion follows the recent introduction of a bill by 35 members of the House of Representatives, proposing a single six-year term for the President and state governors.
