Nigerians can revolt if economic hardship worsen – Aregbesola

Former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has warned President Bola Tinubu of potential revolution if economic hardship worsens in Nigeria.

Aregbesola, who served as interior minister in the previous administration, made this known on Monday, November 12, at a national dialogue on Home-Grown Parliamentary System in Abuja.

According to him, “We have seen worsening economic—even political and spiritual—conditions of Nigerians. You don’t need to be a nuclear scientist to know that. A smaller percentage of Nigerians are now prosperous—not that there is no prosperity in Nigeria—but it is decreasing daily.

When I was born, and during my developmental years, wealth was not as limited to the hands of a very few people as it is today. So, what does that tell us? It tells us that we are in deep trouble.

ALSO READ: HURIWA accuses Tinubu of fuel price hikes to benefit cronies

We would not be here discussing this if things were normal in Nigeria. Whatever does not give appropriate opportunity or rights to the people will be resisted no matter what you do. If other things fail, people can revolt.

If we are conscious of all this and understand the consequences of things getting out of hand, we would be interested in finding the best ways to govern ourselves. If we go on believing that one person, no matter how capable, has the capacity to govern over 220 million Nigerians alone, without checks, we are kidding ourselves.

This thought process leads me to firmly stand against the current executive system of government that we have in place. I am convinced that for a diverse and complex country like ours, a more collaborative approach is essential. We need a system that emphasizes collective decision-making and shared responsibilities. In my opinion, the parliamentary system is the most suitable framework to support such an arrangement. It encourages participation and input from various representatives, ensuring that different perspectives are considered in the governance of our nation.