Renowned nationalist and elder statesman, Chief David Edebiri (Esogban of Benin), on Friday, said Nigeria missed its way to development and progress when it adopted the American Presidential System of government.

Edebiri made the revelation on the occasion of his 93rd birthday celebration and the unveiling of his three books: Tripod of Life: Essence of Benin Tradition and Culture; The Life and Times of Iyase N’Ohenmwen and Immortalising Our Heroes Past: Nigerian Nationalists in Focus in Benin City, Edo State.

“My mentor, Late Chief Anthony Enahoro, would invite me to his house and would ask, ‘Is this what we fought for?’ This was part of the questions he would ask before we started any discussion. This is not the concept of the nationalist who fought for the independence of this country.

“We derailed when we threw away the Parliamentary System of Government and embraced the American Presidential System, but it was embraced haphazardly. What we are doing today is neither American system nor British system.


“If you want to adopt a country’s system of government, you must adopt it wholesomely and not haphazardly. Today, our judiciary is British and we are operating an American system. What we have is people going into politics for personal gain and that is not how it used to be. We fought for this country so that we can be free not because we want to be senators.”

One of the sons of Chief Edebiri, Comrade Tony Edebiri, said his father was a man that every member of the family looked up to, even at the age of 93 years.

The books were presented by Prof. Benson Osadolor, a former Vice Chancellor of the Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, and Prof. Eddy Erahagbe, a former Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Benin.