By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Governors, particularly those in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have been accused of being behind every political crisis in Nigeria.
This assertion was made by a stormy member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Saheed Popoola.
Popoola, also a member of APC representing Ojomu/Balogun Constituency in the House of Assembly, said that governors under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) are behind the political crisis in both the ruling party and the country at large.
According to him, the governors are the chief instigators of party crisis in their respective states and they further go from there to frustrate efforts aimed at granting autonomy to both Local Governments and the State Houses of Assembly.
However, he said this is despite the fact the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Executive Order 10, granting autonomy to relevant tiers of government.
Popoola said: “You can see what has happened with the Electoral Amendment Bill, how they forced the president not to sign it into law.
“The NGF is too powerful and unless something is done about it, I am not sure we would have good governance in the country.”
Hon. Popoola made this assertion at a no-hold-barred interview with journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
Speaking earlier about his achievement as a lawmaker, he said constituencies now look up to lawmakers to perform duties that are constitutionally meant to be performed by the Local Government Councils across Nigeria. His words: “All the Local Councils are now dead because the governors want it so. They are now bringing the same thing to APC.”