'Large turnover of lawmakers inimical to development'

• Published date: 11 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

No fewer than 135 members of the House of Representatives will not be returning to the Lower Chamber next year reporters. In an interview with the Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative Studies, Prof Abubakar Sulaiman speaks on the activities of the institute and the implications of the large turnout on the National Assembly. TONY AKOWE reports

Does the high turnover of legislators after every election constitute any challenge to your institute?

The high turnover rate as experienced in Nigeria or African democracy affects our democracy. The legislature remains the most important arm and the epitome of democracy. A governor can be elected from one senatorial district. But, the only arm of government where you see all shades of opinion being represented is the legislature. That is why it is the epitome of democracy. Unfortunately, it is the arm of government that has suffered lots of setbacks over the years on account of military intervention. It is the most important, it is key, the epitome, the vital organ, but in terms of years of actuality and experience, it is the one that has been a victim. So, the skill and knowledge expected, the endowment, and the potential are not there. That is why this institute was put in place so that what we have lost over the years can be recovered through a series of training and capacity building. It is the only arm of government that is specialised in nature. It has a special working and the tools are different. So, you must have them in place and be consistent in terms of the content, and the manpower. It is not good for democracy. You find out that a senator is elected this year and after four years, he is out of place. You are not helping democracy. An assembly member is here today and is gone tomorrow. But, again, that is the nature of our democracy.

Are you worried about this development?

This high turnover rate is not just something we should be worried about only as an institute, it is something that all of us as a country should be worried about. When you have an experienced senator or member, it will be difficult for one governor to remove him. Look at those that have been there for more than two terms and compare them with those that have just spent one term in the area of contribution to debates, their ability to call to question the executive and you will discover that the difference is very clear. So, the more experienced legislators we have, the better for our democracy in terms of stability, funding, good governance and the quality of law-making. It is not just the institute that should be saddened but this. This year is going to be the worst in terms of turnover. At the level of party primaries, a lot of them are already gone. So, when we go for the election proper, maybe only about 15 per cent of them will come back at the state level. In...