Faseun, Balarabe Differ On Two-Party System

Dr Frederick Faseun, the leader of the O’odua Peoples
Congress (OPC), on Wednesday expressed support for the  re-introduction of a two-party system, to
discourage regional political parties in the country.

Faseun told The Tide’s source in Lagos that the two-party
arrangement would tackle some of the challenges confronting the country at the
moment.

The response of the OPC founder was sequel to the call for a
two-party political system by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

Atiku made the remark at the 2012 Leadership Newspapers
Annual Conference on September 18 in Abuja.

“I do agree with Atiku and I support the call for a
two-party system.

“It makes politics more interesting, focused, and functional
as it was in the botched third republic, with the Social Democratic Party (SDP)
and the National Republican Convention (NRC)’’.

Faseun said corruption was not as pronounced then, as the
government was doing its best to make life more meaningful to the citizens.

“The corruption that has become an order of the day now, was
less at that time.’’

However, the National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption
Party (PRP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa, condemned the call for a two-party
arrangement..

According to him, the campaign for a two-party had been
ongoing since in the 1990s.

“Some conservative political leaders in Nigeria were
campaigning for a one-party system up to 1986.

“But when they saw that Nigeria will not accept it, they
came up with a two-party system, and Nigeria will not still accept it,’’ he
said.

Musa said the idea behind the call for a two-party system
was to alternate governance among the two parties in the country.

The PRP chief said America and Britain formed and recognised
political parties freely.

He said the electorate in those countries decided the two
prominent parties, without the extinction of the other parties.

Musa described the call for only two political parties in Nigeria
as “selfish’’.

“If Nigeria really wants democracy and wants to move with
time, there should be free formation and recognition of political parties.

“Ultimately, it is the voters that will decide the state not
only a political party or a candidate. This is what will work in a developing
country like Nigeria,’’ Musa said.

Also, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, the National Secretary
of the Labour Party (LP), condemned the call for a two-party democratic system.

According to him, restricting people to two-party system is
depriving them of their fundamental human rights.

“The call is out of tune with democratic activities in the
world. There should be freedom of respect in every angle of democratic
dispensation of the world,’’ the LP scribe said.

Abdulsalam said more than two parties exist in America and
Britain, adding that only two were pronounced as it was in Nigeria.

Mr Toyin Raheem, the Secretary General of Campaign for
Constitutionalism and Human Rights (CCHR), also condemned the call for a
two-party state.

He said the constitution supported the freedom of
association.

“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
guarantees freedom of Association.

“So, if we want to go by the law, a two-party arrangement
will mean an infringement on the rights of the citizens,’’ he said.