- What we have in Nigeria today is the government of the party, by the party and for the party.
Foremost clergyman and politician, Rev Chris Okotie has called for the scrapping of the Nigerian National Assembly.
According to the former presidential candidate, the maintenance of members of the National Assembly was costing the country huge sum of money.
Chris Okotie also argued that most of the committees setup in the National Assemblies were not useful to the needs of the people, and that the lawmakers only represent themselves and not their constituents.
The cleric made the call over the weekend during his 63rd birthday celebration at his Household of God Church.
He called on leading 2023 presidential candidates – Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi and others to step down from the race to enable President Muhammadu Buhari hand over power to him on an interim basis.
Continuing, Okotie said ministers and commissioners should also be removed as the democracy of the country has been hijacked by the “elite” and for their personal interest.
He further called for a review of the current constitution to a people-oriented one, followed by restructuring.
“We must get rid of the National and State Assemblies because maintaining each member cost the country billions of naira. Some of the standing committees at both assemblies are not useful to the country, they are only representing themselves, not the populace.
“For the best of the country, both assemblies should be scrapped and the money for maintaining them should be used for something else. What we have in Nigeria today is the government of the party, by the party and for the party.
“Ministers and the Commissioners should also be expunged because Nigeria’s democracy has been hijacked by the elite for their interest and they are deceiving the downtrodden who don’t know anything.
“And the most important of all is our constitution. It should be changed to a people-oriented constitution, not the military one we have now. After the change, we can then restructure the country for the better.”
Okotie promised that things would take a better turn if President Buhari heeds to his advice by suspending the 2023 elections for an interim government.
“My government will be that of National Reconciliation and Reconstruction. The interim government shall address aberrations and anomalies in the polity.
“I want to implore all Nigerians to join hands in the conversations that would enable a transition to an interim government at the end of President Buhari’s administration,” he added.