A former member of the House of Representatives, Babatunde Kolawole, at the weekend, identified godfatherism, presidential and gubernatorial immunity, and the winners-take-it-all syndrome as significant obstacles hampering the country’s democratic development.

Kolawole, who spoke on several critical issues impeding the growth of Nigeria’s democracy, also harped on the impact of excessive control and domination of political parties by leaders, which he said, undermines the principles of democracy.

The erstwhile lawmaker, who is the Special Adviser to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Community and Rural Development, stated this at a summit organised by the legislative arm of the National Association of Ondo State Students (NAOSS), held in Akure, the state capital.

He further condemned electoral malpractices, prevalence of money politics, use of thuggery during elections and manipulation of electoral processes to weaken democratic institutions. Kolawole said the practices, if left unchecked, would pose formidable challenges to the establishment of good democratic governance.

According to him, the existing political structure has resulted in unnecessary control of legislative activities by the executive arm. He maintained that such control limits the autonomy and independence of the National Assembly, undermining its ability to effectively execute its legislative responsibilities.

Kolawole stressed the urgent need for comprehensive electoral reforms to address the challenges with an appeal to political parties to adopt transparent and inclusive processes that allow for the emergence of leaders based on merit rather than personal connections.

He said: “It is ironical that Nigeria’s Democracy is still called nascent after decades of practise; this is because the political class has made it difficult to have the ideal of good governance as enshrined in the country’s constitution.

“The legislative arm is, therefore, one of the cardinal institutions of any democratic governance. As a separate organ of government, it plays a crucial role in ensuring the entrenchment of good governance in the State.

“It has been universally acknowledged that for good governance to be achieved, there must be a vibrant legislature.

“The National Assembly’s role in the democratic space is mainly to legislate for good governance, peace, and the welfare of the people while also serving as a check on the executive arm of government.” Kolawole advised youths across the country to show more interest in politics by vying for different elective positions.