Former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has issued a challenge to one of Nigerian politics’ most deeply entrenched conventions: the principle of power rotation.
Speaking at an interactive session on Saturday, El-Rufai argued that the nation’s political culture is primarily about “contriving an arithmetic for power, for those who have it and for those seeking it,” an arithmetic which he stated “tends to have little to do with actual policy and coherent governance.”
The remarks, made at an event hosted by his former colleague, the Right Honourable Nnaemeka Maduagwu, moved the discourse beyond mere criticism. El-Rufai pitched a radical alternative: a national shift towards meritocracy and elite consensus on substantive governance issues, effectively calling for an end to the political calculations often synonymous with the zoning system.
“There is an urgent need for our current and prospective office holders to focus not just on an arithmetic of power, but on a national programme that addresses and solves societal problems,” he asserted.
He expressed concern that this focus on power calculations has made it difficult for governance to be a consistent priority of elected governments since the return to democracy in 1999.
“We cannot play the politics of nostalgia when the times call for policies to prepare our people and empower them to meet the challenges of tomorrow,” he warned, suggesting that an adherence to rotational formulas overlooks the pressing need for competent governance.
To achieve sustainable progress, El-Rufai contended that the country deserves from its politicians “a programme of service, a governance framework that is pragmatic about the policies to be rolled out after winning the elections, and the choices to be made to solve urgent national and subnational problems.” This vision directly contrasts with a system where political strategy is dominated by regional and ethnic power-sharing agreements.
Central to his argument was the call for an “elite consensus” constructed around the principles of “equal citizenship, rule of law, public safety and a programme of national development.”
He believes that Nigeria’s diverse leadership must unite on a common purpose for development, moving away from divisive power dynamics. “Across our diversity, we can move forward together, united in a common endeavour for development and prosperity,” he stated.
El-Rufai further elaborated that this consensus must define the “broad purposes to which democratic power would be deployed,” rather than the mere acquisition of power for its own sake or for sectional representation.
He emphasised the need for a “binding grammar of politics, the kind of political norms that would imbue our politics with certain standards, no matter the party that is in power.”
This new political culture, he proposed, should be built on a foundation of “respect for the rule of law, the equality of all citizens and respect for their fundamental human rights.” He stressed that “We need a strong and honest judiciary and well-resourced police services” to uphold these principles and ensure citizen safety.
In moving forward together, El-Rufai concluded that the nation must strive to be one of merit, “putting our best forward in the mighty effort needed for economic development.” His hope is that “Nigerians will unite in a common endeavour for national prosperity and development,” leveraging a “collective vision along with personal merit to make our country a better place.”
Discussion about this post