By Babalola Seyi
Reverend Chris Okotie, the founder of Household of God Church, has called on political parties’ presidential candidates to step down for him in other to succeed President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) after his tenure as interim President because that is the only way out of Nigeria’s predicament.
He made the call while speaking to newsmen at his church in Oregun, Ikeja, on the occasion of his 63rd birthday.
He claims that the only way out of the country’s crisis is for Buhari to give over power as temporary president to him.
“I want to appeal to all presidential candidates to withdraw from the race and allow me to come in as the interim president. I want to implore Atiku and Asiwaju to support my government for the betterment of the country and I also want to tell Obi that the system that introduced him cannot take him anywhere, because he cannot operate in the system we have now. Also, all other presidential candidates should support me to succeed President Buhari as the interim president.
“We must also rise above tribe and religion because there is an imbalance in the country and we are not practising federalism instead, what we are practising is a presidential system of government. Since 1999, things have been declining because the presidential system of government we are practising has failed us”.
He stated that for Nigeria to move forward, we need to get rid of the legislature, those in the House of Representatives, House of assemblies, ministers, and the commissioners.
“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.”
The cleric analyzed his plans for the country if he is made the interim president after Buhari’s tenure.
““If I am made the interim president, our government will be a transparent one and we will redirect the steps of the youth who are into internet fraudsters and turn them into better persons in the society and empower them.
“While a young person with inclination to technology advancement will ensure financial accountability of government and each state will have control of their national resources. First, we emulated the British and now we are copying the American style of democracy that didn’t take us anywhere.
“The presidential system of government has failed us woefully. We should enable professional associations constitutionally to acquire legislative power as a replacement for the removal of the legislature from our political system.
“And we should also embrace the concept of aboriginal democracy that is a government from the people, for the people, and with the people. This is distinct from the current experience of political parties which is the government of the party, the party, and for the party.
“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”.
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