National Council of State, muting the voice of democracy?

In what will seem as a recourse to superior wisdom from the elders, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu convened his first ever meeting of the Council of State last Monday in the State House Council Chamber, Abuja. This is the body that is constitutionally and notionally expected to provide advice to the president, through a convergence […]

In what will seem as a recourse to superior wisdom from the elders, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu convened his first ever meeting of the Council of State last Monday in the State House Council Chamber, Abuja. This is the body that is constitutionally and notionally expected to provide advice to the president, through a convergence of insights as well as perspectives from different generations of national leadership, for addressing contemporary challenges.  The last meeting of the Council was under the former President Muhammadu Buhari on February 10 2023, just before the general polls of that year.  

The Council was established on July 30 1975, by late Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed, soon after the ouster of his predecessor, General Yakubu Gowon, in the military takeover (coup d’etat) – a day earlier on July 29th 1975. 

As provided for in the Nigerian Constitution, the National Council of State has as members – the President who is the Chairman, the Vice President who is the Vice Chairman, all former Presidents and Heads of Governments (courtesy of Nigeria history of military rule), all former Chief Justices, President of the Senate, Speaker House of Representatives, all state Governors, as well as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.

Functionally, the Council has responsibility of advising the president on specific issues of strategic national interests and good governance, including matters concerning the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This aspect underscores the role of the body with respect to fostering good governance through credible poll exercises and promoting people friendly policies along with their effective implementation.

Tinubu turning Nigerians to beggars with palliatives – Afe Babalola

How communities, parents, banditry fuel street begging in Sokoto

It is also for good measure that the agenda for last Monday’s meeting as convened by President Bola Tinubu, included among other burning national issues, the recent avoidable wave of protests across the country which took a heavy toll comprising loss of lives as well as destruction of public and private property. This is not to talk of the massive dislocation which the dispensation wreaked on the country’s psyche and general well-being.

As is widely acknowledged, the recent wave of protests could have been avoided if the president and his team had adopted a more conciliatory disposition towards the unmistaken laments over the suffocation living conditions of the Nigerian masses, occasioned by the very handiwork of the government, in a most uncharitable manner. Without directing any pun at President Bola Tinubu personally, the fact remains that he must have read the wrong script on the Nigerian situation by his lieutenants, hence the protests. Considering that the lack of food and the resultant life-threatening hunger as well as starvation across the country, constitute the primary trigger for the protests, this is hoping that the meeting of the Council had not only placed due emphasis on these areas, but that   President Tinubu was also disposed to heed whatever wisdom that emanated from the forum.      

For a long time, the contention had been running that the Council’s role as the country’ highest level advisory body remains compromised due to the skew of its membership towards a dominance by the executive arm of government vis-a-vis the glaring marginalisation of the legislature – the crucible and voice of democracy. This is most obvious as with the active participation of the president and former presidents as well as Heads of Governments, the Chief Justice and all former Chief Justices, when compared with only the involvement of serving president of the Senate and Speaker, House of Representatives in the Council, the obvious back-burner status of the legislature remains self-manifest.

And that constitutes a significant lacuna in the body politic of the entire country, as it remains bereft of the benefit of critical insights from past enterprise of the nation’s legislative establishment, even at this highest level, advisory facility to the president.

An important question here borders on how and whether the country and president cope with the challenge of driving, as well as sustaining good governance without reference to the past enterprise of the legislature? Succinctly put, has Nigeria’s democracy fared better without drawing inputs and insights from past legislative gains? The obvious answer is that the country may have lost humongous dividends due to the significant disconnect between the present and past phases of the legislature, given its constitutional status as   the first arm of government.     

Interestingly, the compromised membership structure of the Council of State is a relic of military rule, which has been allowed to last much longer than it deserves with the country celebrating 25 years of unbroken democratic rule since 1999, and, therefore, remains a sore thumb of its governance terrain.   

It is trite knowledge that of the three arms of government, the Constitution acknowledges and lists he legislature as the first among equals. This is followed by the executive arm before the judiciary. The intention of the Constitution for this is to accentuate the context that governance is primarily for the benefit of the people, the masses, and not for the appropriation of the operators of the system. Impliedly therefore, it is a breach of this condition that constitutes bad governance in the first instance.

 On an interesting note,  it is easy to imagine the colour and verve that would have been availed the Council of State with the participation of surviving past presidents of the Senate such as Adolphus Wabara, Ken Nnamani, David Mark, Bukola Saraki, and Ahmed Lawan. This is just as to join the party are Aminu Masari, Patricia Etteh, Dimeji Bankole, Aminu Tambuwal, Yakubu Dogara, and Femi Gbajabiamila.

 Just as well is there a downside in the manifest marginalisation of the leadership of the legislature in the Council of State, especially with respect to the welfare of these icons of the crucible of democracy. For instance, it offers no credit to the country that former Deputy President of the Senate Wash Pam in his indigent condition after office, was reported to have been regularly ferried around his Plateau State, his  home, by commercial motor cyclists popularly referred to as ‘Okada’ riders. Or shall we skip the story of first elected president of the Nigerian Senate, late Dr Joseph Wayas, whose life and times after office also constitute a tale of neglect, by the nation he served most dutifully.

 Over to you Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly, Godswill Akpabio. This is where your fabled ‘uncommon touch’ has a role to play.