Television Nigerian

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Olisa Agbakoba has once again expressed doubts about the sustainability of Nigeria’s current democratic system and called for a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s political structure.

Agbakoba bemoaned the dissolution of opposition formations into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday. He cautioned that such political realignments undermine democracy rather than bolster it.

Agbakoba reflected on Nigeria’s political trajectory after independence, stating that despite having exercised democracy for more than 20 years, the nation has repeatedly failed at administration.

“By now, I assumed things would have improved. “But something is still fundamentally wrong after all these years, from 1960 through military coups and 25 years of democracy,” he remarked.

Agbakoba questioned whether Nigeria’s sociopolitical environment was a good fit for the Western democratic paradigm. Since Nigerians are more focused on their quality of life than on the system of government, he claims that democracy as it has been introduced from Europe and America has not produced the anticipated benefits.

Read Also: NASS Inserted 11,122 Projects Worth N6.93 Trillion in 2025 Budget – BudgIt

He clarified that Nigerians aren’t very curious in the president’s identity. They want someone who would supply them with food, adequate houses, safe roads, good schools, and prompt salaries. The true problems are those.

Agbakoba compared nations like China, who have achieved great progress without embracing Western-style democracy, and asked both leaders and public to think about a governance model that puts outcomes ahead of political niceties.

He stressed that linguistic, religious, and ethnic differences that are deeply ingrained in Nigeria make the country’s problems worse. “We need to ask ourselves a challenging but important question: is this system really working for us?”

Agbakoba made these comments at a time when a number of opposition party politicians have switched to the APC. Fearing that this trend threatens democratic checks and balances, the previous president of the Nigerian Bar Association voiced his concerns.

“I’m here to let opposition parties know that defecting isn’t a strategic move if they think so. Ordinary Nigerians suffer, and the system is weakened. Standing in the gap, even when it isn’t politically advantageous, is the real test of a leader.

As a necessary component of any working democracy, he urged moral leaders to eschew the allure of power and instead work to create a strong, credible opposition that keeps the government responsible.

BudgIT Nigeria, a non-governmental civic and transparency organization, claims that the 10th National Assembly (NASS) included 11,122 projects costing ₦6.93 trillion in its 2025 budget.
BudgIT found that 238 projects worth more than ₦5 billion each, totaling N2.29 trillion, were placed with no rationale.
BudgIT identified 984 projects worth ₦1.71 trillion and 1,119 projects ranging from ₦500 million to ₦1 billion, totaling ₦641.38 billion.

According to a report issued on Tuesday, 3,573 projects worth ₦653.19 billion were allotted to federal constituencies and 1,972 projects worth ₦444.04 billion to senatorial districts.
“Some of the most glaring anomalies include: 1,477 streetlight projects worth ₦393.29 billion, 538 boreholes totalling ₦114.53 billion, 2,122 ICT projects valued at ₦505.79 billion and ₦6.74 billion earmarked for ’empowerment of traditional rulers’,” the statement stated.

According to the study, 4,371 projects worth ₦1.72 trillion were squeezed into the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget, resulting in a capital allocation of ₦1.95 trillion from ₦242.5 billion.

The Ministries of Science and Technology and Budget and Economic Planning received inflated appropriations of ₦994.98 billion and ₦1.1 trillion, respectively, through insertions.

“Even more alarming is the purposeful use of entities such as the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (Lagos) and the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, as dump sites for politically motivated projects.

“These agencies lack the technical capacity to carry out such projects, resulting in widespread underperformance and waste.”

“For example, the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River—a training institution—was saddled with: ₦3 billion for utility vehicles to support farmers and distribution agents, ₦1.5 billion for rural electrification in Rivers State, ₦1 billion for solar streetlights in Enugu,” the statement reads.

Read Also: Joe Igbokwe Labels Atiku’s Labour Party Pact an Act of Desperation

BudgIT urged President Bola Tinubu to strengthen executive leadership and restructure the budgeting process to ensure alignment with the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2021-2025) and other national priorities.

“We urge the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to seek a constitutional interpretation from the Supreme Court regarding the extent of the National Assembly’s appropriation powers, particularly the authority to introduce new capital projects without Executive concurrence.”

“We hope that the anti-corruption agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), will also take action to track these projects and ensure Nigeria receives value for money.”

“We also urge individuals, the media, civil society organisations, and the development community to speak up and demand reform. This is more than just financial malfeasance; it is about justice, equity, and Nigeria’s future of accountable governance,” it added.

Before the 2027 elections, Joe Igbokwe, a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has denied rumors that former vice president Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi are aligned.
According to earlier reports, Atiku offered Obi the position of vice presidential, and Obi accepted.
Igbokwe responded on Monday by stating on Facebook that the alignment will not work and that it will not be able to sell.

The deal, he derided, was primitive and childish. It was just an act of desperation, Igbokwe claimed.

“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s childish and primitive deal with the Labour Party is laughable and kindergarten,” he expressed.

Read Also: Peter Obi Declares Stand Against Bad Governance Ahead of 2027, Breaks Silence on Atiku Deal

That’s a desperate move. It can’t sell and it can’t fly.

Igbokwe has asserted that the increase in food commodity prices is the result of Nigerian traders.

In a Saturday Facebook post, Igbokwe asserted that traders are too avaricious to let prices fall.

According to the political analyst, food prices are statistically declining, but because of traders’ malice, this hasn’t been reflected in market prices.

Igbokwe bemoaned the fact that Nigerians are their own worst enemies.

He added, “Nigerians will not help Nigerians, even though food and commodity prices are declining.”

“Our avaricious tendencies, avarice, and depravity have no part two. The worst adversaries we have are ourselves. Nigerians steal things they don’t require.

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, has stated that his participation in the alliance in advance of the 2027 elections is centered on the battle against poverty, hunger, and poor governance.
Peter Obi stated this in response to a query about rumors that he had reached a one-term agreement with Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 2023 presidential nominee, to become his vice president in the 2027 elections.

Punch was informed by several sources that the proposition was presented at a meeting between Atiku and Obi in the UK earlier this year.
According to the insiders, Obi has accepted to be the former vice president’s running partner, and Atiku has pledged to serve a single four-year term.

According to a party chieftain, Atiku and Obi have reached a consensus and are currently consulting their supporters.

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Speaking on Monday at a gathering in Kubwa for a donation to an Anglican Church-organized school and hospital project, Peter Obi did not, however, confirm or deny making a pact with Atiku.

Peter Obi reaffirmed his dedication to the coalition’s goal.

“You can interpret the report however you like, but I am part of a coalition that fights poverty, hunger, and poor governance,” he stated.

Zamfara State’s ongoing insecurity has drawn criticism from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Zamfara State branch.
According to Yusuf Idris, the party’s spokesperson, the state’s insecurity situation has gotten worse under Lawal’s leadership.
Their accusation was that the governor had not fulfilled his campaign pledge to put an end to banditry within three months of takeover.

As armed groups continued to target civilians, Idris contended that Lawal was failing to fulfill his responsibilities.

In anticipation of the 2023 elections, Governor Lawal must be getting ready to commemorate his second year anniversary by breaking a pledge he made during his campaigns for governor, according to Idris.

He chastised the governor for what he described as a careless demeanor, asserting that Lawal frequently left the state during times of emergency rather than exercising empathy and leadership.

Idris further disputed the governor’s assertions that state hospitals provide free medical care to banditry victims, stating that many don’t receive treatment because of financial constraints.

He claimed, “I went to Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital in Gusau and saw firsthand how victims were turned away because they were unable to pay.”

The APC’s accusations were deemed “baseless and unfounded” by Mustafa Kaura, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Communications, in response to the charges.

He backed the security strategy of Governor Lawal, stating that great strides had been made since the current administration took office.

Governor Dauda Lawal is fighting banditry with extraordinary success, as everyone knows.

Read Also: Fani-Kayode Reacts to Zamfara Crisis: 35 Killed, 223 Abducted

“Many communities were almost abandoned when Governor Matawalle was in office. Kaura stated, “People are going back to their communities today.”

As crucial components in lowering the scope of attacks, he cited recent measures including the hiring of civilian protection guards and more financing for security operations.

Additionally, Kaura reminded the APC that Bello Matawalle, the former state governor and current minister of defense, is a member of the APC and shares accountability for national security.

The opposition, Kaura said, was politicizing the state’s problems and should stop shifting the blame and back continuous peacekeeping operations.

“APC members should be ashamed of themselves for assigning all the blame to Governor Lawal, even though they are aware that he is not in charge of the security agencies,” he said.