Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has thrown his support behind the proposition for a single term for elected officials while rejecting the notion of local government autonomy, asserting that it contradicts the essence of true federalism.
Speaking at The Platform Nigeria event organized by Covenant Nation to commemorate the 2024 Democracy Day, Soludo advocated for a single-parliament National Assembly as a solution to Nigeria’s financial challenges.
“Sometimes, these conversations about single term might begin to make some sense so that you fix it, whether you say four years or five years, six years, seven years, single term,” Soludo expressed, highlighting the need to focus on governance rather than re-election campaigns.
Regarding the issue of local government autonomy, Soludo diverged from the prevailing sentiment, arguing that empowering local governments would regress Nigeria’s federalism.
“Each state must have the power to design the kind of local government system they want. That is what true federalism is about,” Soludo emphasized, advocating for state autonomy in determining local governance structures.
Additionally, Soludo proposed consolidating the National Assembly into one with a limited number of representatives per state, citing excessive costs as a compelling reason for reform.
“We don’t need a National Assembly costing over N300bn yearly to maintain. We don’t need it,” Soludo asserted, advocating for a leaner legislative structure to optimize resources.
Acknowledging the economic challenges facing Nigeria, Soludo stressed the importance of addressing fiscal issues urgently to avoid further economic deterioration.
“We are now suffering the consequences of delayed adjustments,” Soludo remarked, urging President Bola Tinubu to mobilize efforts to rectify the country’s economic predicament for the sake of future generations.
Despite acknowledging that Tinubu did not solely cause the economic challenges, Soludo urged him to take responsibility for leading the nation out of its fiscal crisis.
“Nigeria faces fiscal quagmire and even technical solvency problems,” Soludo cautioned, warning against resorting to printing money as a solution, which could exacerbate inflationary pressures.
Soludo’s remarks at The Platform Nigeria underscored his advocacy for pragmatic reforms in Nigeria’s governance structure and fiscal policies to address pressing economic challenges and ensure sustainable development.