An Egba high chief and father of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, Alani Bankole, has described Nigeria’s political system as flawed
Speaking with newsmen at his Oluwo residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as part of activities marking his 85th birthday, he said political leaders should be judged by their competence and performance rather than their ethnic origins
He said the country’s political discourse had become too focused on the ethnicity and geographical origins of political leaders
“Our system is flawed; it is bad We should concentrate on performance, ability, and the ability to do things, not where somebody comes from,” he said.
According to him, political leadership should not be determined by whether a candidate is from a particular ethnic group, stressing that Nigerians should focus on what leaders can deliver
“After all, we’re all sons of Adam and Eve Why does it matter today whether somebody is from Igbo or from Yoruba?” he asked.
Bankole said the preoccupation with ethnic representation had distracted Nigerians from issues of governance and development
“Let us talk about performance Let us forget about things,” he said.
He argued that competence should take precedence over ethnic considerations, noting that political systems in other countries had increasingly accommodated people from different ethnic backgrounds in positions of leadership
Bankole, who is the Apena of Egbaland, cited Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom and the first Black person to lead the party, as an example
“Ladies and gentlemen, who is the leader of the Conservative Party today in England? Where is she from? Who is talking about that in England? Why are they not saying she is a Black person and they don’t want her? That’s why I said our system is bad
“What does it matter to me if the person who is going to be my governor is an Egun person, which is one of the smallest ethnic groups in Ogun State, if he is going to perform?” he asked
The Egba chief also criticised what he described as the practice of imposing political candidates on the people, saying political leadership should not be reduced to ethnic calculations or political sponsorship
Bankole said his own experience had shown that ethnic considerations should not determine personal relationships or political choices
He cited marriages within his family involving people from different ethnic groups
He further called for an end to what he described as unnecessary ethnic rivalry, saying Nigeria’s diversity should be treated as an asset rather than a basis for political exclusion