The Obaro of Kabba and Chairman of the Okun Area Traditional Council, HRM Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi, has urged Kogi stakeholders to reach a consensus on power rotation among the state’s three ethnic groups, warning that no segment should pursue permanent dominance.
Owoniyi made the call on Wednesday in a submission at the Kogi Power Rotation Summit, organised by the Unity Accord Group at the Galaxy Event Centre, Lokoja.
The monarch noted that “fiery arguments” had recently dominated public discourse on power rotation in the state. He commended the organisers for creating a platform to exchange ideas so the issue would not degenerate into rancour and acrimony.
No constitutional backing
Owoniyi said the 1999 Constitution (as amended) makes no provision for rotating power at the national, state or local government level, with popular votes remaining the main consideration.
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He argued, however, that for cohesive and united governance, power should not be permanently skewed in favour of any segment to the neglect of others. Any rotation arrangement, he said, could only be a gentleman’s agreement, since it is not strictly constitutional.
Global examples
The monarch said rotational power sharing was not a novel idea and cited countries where it is practised formally:
– Switzerland: the presidency rotates yearly among the seven members of the Federal Council.
– Bosnia and Herzegovina: a Bosniak, a Croat and a Serb share the presidency, rotating the chairmanship every eight months.
-Lebanon: top offices are allocated by sect, with the President a Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim and the Speaker a Shia Muslim.
-Malaysia: the national King rotates every five years among nine hereditary Sultans.
– United Arab Emirates: the President comes from Abu Dhabi’s ruling family and the Prime Minister from Dubai.
– European Union: the presidency rotates every six months among the 27 member states.
He also cited informal arrangements in Kenya and Ethiopia, where cabinet and top posts are ethnically balanced, and in Indonesia, where vice-presidential picks balance Java against non-Java, civilian against military, and the major islands.
Nigeria and Kogi
At home, Owoniyi said the two major political parties informally rotate power between the North and South and among the six geopolitical zones. He added that unwritten power-sharing arrangements exist in states such as Niger, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Delta, Anambra, Cross River and Ondo.
On Kogi, he said the state’s ethnic complexity meant every group wanted to be a major factor in the power equation, whether viewed through the senatorial districts or the “tripodal” ethnic composition.
Since this could not be achieved through the Constitution, he said, the only viable path was a consensus among the state’s major components. That agreement, he added, must be strong enough to withstand “the caprices and manoeuvrings” of political parties.
“It is neither feasible nor elegant or dignifying for any component of the tripod to pursue permanent hegemony. Shared leadership is the better path,” he said.
He called on the state government, political parties and prominent figures to work “selflessly and assiduously” for inclusivity, equity and justice.
