The increasing number of state governors defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has drawn criticism from Dr. Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, who warned that this trend goes against the fundamental principles of Nigeria’s state system.
Amadi reportedly voiced his worries when answering questions during a Tuesday, February 3 interview with Arise Television.
The former chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) claims that states were established so that subnational governments may use their own resources and pursue development on their own, independent of the federal government.
“The idea of having a state is being able to harness your resources and development,” he stated.
According to Amadi, Nigeria’s political and economic system has a deeper structural flaw that is reflected in the governors’ haste to set up shop with the party at the center.
Amadi questioned if Nigeria was returning to an unduly centralized form of government, raising concerns about the consequences of the defections.
“We don’t have economics right in terms of development,” he remarked. Are we going to resume centralizing now that everyone is attending the center?
Although Nigeria may have made some political progress, the political economist pointed out that true federalism has continued to be undermined by the country’s inability to create a sustainable economic framework.
He continued, “So basically, we’ve got economics wrong in terms of development, maybe politics, in some sense.”
According to reports, the remarks coincide with a number of prominent governors from opposition parties defecting to the ruling APC.
Delta, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Enugu, Kano, Plateau, and most recently, Taraba, are among the impacted states.
