High turnover rate of legislators has hindered vibrant legislature in Nigeria ― Kwara APC chieftain

A former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, has said that high turnover rate of legislators in both states and National Assemblies is a major hindrance to the development of a vibrant legislature in the country.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of a leadership training institute, Nations Leadership Institute (NLI) in Ilorin at the weekend, Oyedepo who is the chairman of the institute said that long history of the military regime had also impacted negatively on Nigeria’s legislature.

“Between 1990 and 1999, a period of 39 years, military in Nigeria was in political power for 30 years. This means that the legislature was only in place for nine of the 39 years. The nine years were years of crisis where knowledge and skills of lawmaking could hardly be imparted. Yet, between 1999 and now, the turnover of legislators in the states and National Assemblies could hardly allow for the development of vibrant legislature,” the chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said.

Oyedepo, who was a lawmaker and political activist in Kwara State, also said that authoritarian style of many presidents and governors, that were used to military-style, had led to the weakness of the legislature in the country.

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He also posited that there is leadership deficiency in Africa, saying that a leader “must be one that will use his or her informal power, authority and influence to direct and control other people in the pursuit of a common goal.

“Leadership is not greed, selfish ambition, showmanship, nepotism, sectionalism, tribalism etc. Leaders that exhibit all these tendencies in positions of authority are mere pretenders and they are not leaders properly so-called”.

Oyedepo said that the leadership institute, a post institutional learning facility, would help to correct misconceptions and wrong perceptions of leadership in the country.

He also said that Africa needs a revolution of thought, rather than violent revolution, adding that all violent revolutions, leading to wars, eventually, end up at the discussion table where peace is negotiated.”

“What we need in most African countries today is a revolution of thought: thoughts that will change our perceptions about the true meaning of political power and authority. Corrupt leaders create their own enemies as their lifestyle and their selfish belief system create the material condition for violence,” he said.