Salihu, who also served as Chief of Staff to Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State emphasised the need for a more inclusive electoral process.
Dr. Ladan Salihu, former Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, has advocated for a constitutional reform in Nigeria that would require a presidential candidate to secure at least 50% of the votes to be elected, similar to the system in South Africa.
Speaking on Arise Television on Wednesday, he said, "One would have wished that we had a constitution in which, like, for instance, what obtains in South Africa, where the president must win at least 51, 52% of the votes before he becomes legitimately elected.”
Salihu, who also served as Chief of Staff to Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State emphasised the need for a more inclusive electoral process.
He pointed out that President Bola Tinubu assumed office with only 37% of the votes, leaving a significant portion of the population unrepresented in governance.
"Right now, you have a president sitting in the Villa with 37 percent of the votes... The 63 percent population are excluded from governance. And for a country of 250 million people, this is unacceptable," he argued.
Reflecting on Nigeria's current presidential constitution, Salihu acknowledged its legitimacy but called for reforms that would make the system more representative of the people's will.
"I want to insist that it is a legitimate constitution. But I want to see a situation in which it is reformed in a manner that the people decide," he said.
Salihu also suggested that a parliamentary system, where the leader of the majority party in parliament becomes the president, could eliminate the divisive and often hostile nature of presidential campaigns.
He proposed that if no candidate achieves the 50% threshold, a coalition government should be formed, ensuring broader representation.
Addressing the broader challenges facing Nigeria, Salihu highlighted the issues of hunger, insecurity, and deprivation, emphasizing the need for a holistic and comprehensive national dialogue.
He called on patriots to conduct town hall meetings across the six geopolitical zones to understand the constraints and limitations of governance and to listen to the voices of ordinary Nigerians.
"In the end, what am I saying? I would have expected that the patriots would conduct town hall meetings across the six geopolitical zones to gauge the temperature of the country... and come up with a document, even if it is just a synopsis, before going to the president," Salihu concluded, underscoring the importance of reforming Nigeria's governance structure to better reflect the diverse and pluralistic nature of the nation.
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