Why PMB is having problems with N/Assembly?

A presidential system of government is prone to abuse. There is no party discipline at all. Unlike parliamentary system where there is party supremacy, where you can’t be a minister if you were not a member of the parliament. And there are many inbuilt mechanisms to checkmate arbitrariness and insubordination. The first costly political mistake […]

A presidential system of government is prone to abuse. There is no party discipline at all. Unlike parliamentary system where there is party supremacy, where you can’t be a minister if you were not a member of the parliament. And there are many inbuilt mechanisms to checkmate arbitrariness and insubordination. The first costly political mistake president made was to assume that our democracy has come of age, and that National Assembly needs no remote control.

Therefore, he showed no mild interests in the shameful election of the principals of the Parliament. At the end, corrupt liberal members of the Assembly emerged as alpha and omega. The President forgot to know that he handed missiles to his enemies. If you lack control of the National Assembly you are in trouble! Serious trouble!! And when the president is in trouble the whole country would suffer. Today, Bukola and Dogara are in full control of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Even if they cannot muster enough votes to impeach the president, they can threaten and blackmail him. Bukola and Dogara represent the cumulative interests of our representatives. The interests are what they can get from the nation’s treasury; how to recoup their ‘investments’. Some are after the Presidency.

Today, the rivals and political enemies of President Buhari can easily use National Assembly to undermine the president and his government. Look at Senator Ahmad Lawan from Yobe? I thought he was a loyalist of the president, but his recent body language showed a switch of loyalty. A senate president has answers to most of the troubles of the law-makers which is to make money and keep winning elections till death does part. I heard that senators Abu Ibrahim and Ahmad Lawan are the oldest members and they want to remain. So gradually, the president is losing his loyalists not only in the parliament but also across the country.

Many die hard supporters of the president who worked for him, are now lamenting that they have become laughing stocks in their communities. Many organizations that seriously worked hard for Buhari’s emergence have now collapsed because of lack of fund and motivation. There is element of truth to what Aisha Buhari said.

President should understand that even in developed countries, election is fought with funds. I don’t know how much Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump spent in their campaign on publicity and logistic but no doubt it was stupendious. So there is an urgent need for the president to wisely reflect and save his government from falling off the brink. 

Bishir Dauda, Sabuwar Unguwa, Katsina.