An elder statesman, Tanko Yakasai, has stressed the need for politicians and political office holders to be guided by ideologies rather than personal interests.
Mr Yakasai stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja, also said that political parties were supposed to be formed by people with the same ideas and thinking.
“The way political parties emerge in this country, especially when you look at the events that followed this democratic dispensation, is not ideal.
“People were not sure of where to go initially. It is only now that things are beginning to take some shape.
“This is a country where we have a federation with East, West and North, yet many politicians don’t consider what should be the interest of their people and the nation at large; rather, all they think is personal gains, as politicians” he said.
Mr Yakasai, who was the late President Shehu Shagari’s Liaison Officer at the then National Assembly, attributed frequent defections by politicians from one political party to another to dearth of ideologies.
He, however, said that the gale of defections currently taking place cannot result in Nigeria becoming a one-party state.
“Given the size of the country and the multi-party system being practised, it will be difficult for the country to melt into a one-party state,” he said.
According to him, it will be hard to satisfy the yearnings of Nigerians under a one-party arrangement.
”In a democracy, minority can have their say but majority will have their way. There is always going to be a place for the opposition, but it all depends on the magnitude of the opposition.
“Those who are defecting are doing so for so many reasons. Some are thinking that their former parties are no longer popular in their localities and need a more viable platform to ensure they win the next election,” he said.
On what the regional bodies, such as Arewa Consultative Forum, Ohaneze Ndigbo and Afenifere have done to advance the unity of the country, he said that they haven’t done much in that regard.
Mr Yakasai, who described himself as a proponent of rotational presidency, said that the idea was the brain-child of the defunct National Party of Nigeria, NPN.
While stating that no group had opposed the principle of zoning, he said that it was a valid proposition for the country’s unity.
“This is a country where we originally had three regions and later 36 states. In the long run, letting key political offices, such as the president, to go round will promote unity,” he said.
NAN
