In a Presidential System, Who is More Powerful: The Voters or The President?
By Abbati Bako,psc,bsis,UK’s European University abbatibako@gmail.com
There is an enduring debate among scholars and practitioners of democracy across the world in both the advanced and developing nations that practice the Presidential System of Government. The question is simple, yet profound: Between the elected President and the citizens who elected him, who truly holds the greater power?
1. THE FOUNDATION:
DEMOCRACY BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE
In the 57 recognized elements and principles of democracy, the citizen is listed first. Consensus, by contrast, is listed last and is regarded as the weakest. That ordering is not accidental. It is philosophical.
The etymology itself is instructive. Democracy comes from two Greek words: “Demos” = people, and “Kratos” = power. Thus, democracy literally means “power belongs to the people.”
The late American President Abraham Lincoln, in his Gettysburg Address, captured this immortal truth when he described democracy as “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Not the government over the people.
Therefore, in theory and in principle, sovereignty resides not in Aso Rock, not in the White House, not in any palace. It resides in the voter. The President is merely a trustee and a servant of the people. No more no less. If voters accepted him again for more years; then he should continue and if they rejected him he must accept the judgement of the people; Britain in recent time is an excellent example to learn by Nigeria’s leadership.
2. THE PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM:
POWER ON LOAN
The Presidential System was designed with one central idea: accountability through separation of powers. The President is elected directly by the people for a fixed term. He is both Head of State and Head of Government. He commands the executive, appoints ministers, and directs policy.
But that power is not original. It is delegated.
It is power on loan, with an expiry date.
Four elements make this clear:
1. Source of Authority:
No President can claim legitimacy except through the ballot. Without the voter’s thumbprint, there is no presidency.
2. Term Limits: Even the most powerful President must return to the people after 4 or 8 years to renew the mandate.
3. Checks and Balances:
The Legislature and Judiciary exist to restrain executive excess. They are also elected or confirmed by representatives of the people.
4. The Ultimate Weapon:
Impeachment, recall, and the ballot box. The people can remove a President, but a President cannot remove the people. In this sense, the President is powerful because the voters made him so. And the moment he forgets that, the system should correct him.
3. THE NIGERIAN PARADOX:
PERCEPTION VS REALITY
Unfortunately, in Nigeria today, a dangerous perception has taken root. Many believe that once a President is sworn in, he becomes more powerful than the citizens who elected him. This is a fundamental error. It is a confusion of office with ownership. Yes, the Executive President wields enormous constitutional powers control of the budget, security agencies, appointments, and foreign policy. But all of that power flows from one source: the 2023 mandate of 25 million voters.
When citizens abdicate their civic role when they sell their votes, stay silent in the face of bad policy, or fail to engage their representatives then the presidency begins to look like a monarchy. Not because the Constitution says so, but because the people surrendered their power. As the Greek philosopher Plato warned: “The price of apathy is to be ruled by those worse than yourself.”
4. ANALYSIS: WHO IS REALLY MORE POWERFUL?
History teaches us this: Presidents come and go. Nations remain. Policies change. But the will of the people, when awakened, is irresistible. Britain took 1500 years to evolve the office of Prime Minister. America has had 47 Presidents. Nigeria has had 16 Heads of State. But the people have remained constant.
5. THE LESSON FOR 2027
As we approach 2027, Nigerians must remember three truths:
1. The Ballot is Mightier than the Baton:
A vote cast in wisdom is stronger than any executive order.
2. Engagement Doesn’t End on Election Day: Democracy is not a 4-year event. It is a daily contract. Write your reps. Attend town halls. Demand accountability. That’s democracy.
3. Institutions Serve People, Not Presidents:
The day we begin to fear the office more than we respect the citizen, democracy dies.
CONCLUSION:
THE SOVEREIGN AND THE SERVANT
In a Presidential System, the President is the most powerful servant. The Voter is the most powerful sovereign. The servant can command armies. But only the sovereign can hire and fire the commander. Let us therefore guard our democracy jealously. Let us teach our children that “government” is not a man in Abuja. The government is us. Hence, we are more powerful than any individual within the cycle of the government. So, we the people are the government and we are more powerful than our representatives within the corridor of power. Because everything in politics can wait. Negotiations can wait. Appointments can wait. But civic consciousness cannot wait.
And time… time never waits. May Allah (SWT) grant Nigeria leaders who remember they are servants, and citizens who remember they are kings. Ameen.
Abbati Bako, abbatibako@gmail.com
Global Political Strategy and Communications Analyst and Researcher in Globalization Policy and Alumnus of Kent University,UK
