By Chekwas Okorie
There is no doubt that the death of two renowned elder statesmen, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and Chief Edwin Clark, within a short space of three days of each other, constitutes an unmitigated setback to the age long struggle for the restructuring of Nigeria to usher in true federalism in Nigeria.
It must be noted that the agitation for the restructuring of Nigeria was triggered by the lopsidedness in the geopolitical structure of the country that was deliberately imposed on Nigerians by succeeding military governments which was consolidated in the obnoxious 1999 Constitution of the Federation Republic of Nigeria handed down by the military government of General Abdulsalami Abubakar before the advent of the post military democratic government led by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as President.
General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s administration inserted stringent provisions in the Constitution of Nigeria that made the amendment of critical aspects of the Constitution almost impossible to achieve. The mischievous intention of these obstacles was to make a certain section of the country continuously preponderant over the rest of Nigeria.
The only peaceful option to make Nigeria equitable, just, and fair to all its multi religious and diverse ethnic nationalities is to reset the damage done to the country by various military governments through a wholistic political and economic restructuring of the country.
Unfortunately, the beneficiaries of Nigeria’s obnoxious constitution always resisted all genuine efforts made in this regard in order to sustain the status quo.
Without being immodest, Nigerians will easily admit that I am one of the vocal advocates of true federalism. I may also claim, without any fear of contradiction, that the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, which I founded in 2002, remains until this date, the only registered political party in Nigeria, whose manifesto and the objective principles of its constitution contain copious provisions for true federalism, resource control, self-determination of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities within the context of one Nigeria etc. It is disappointing that the restructuring of Nigeria, which is a patriotic national project and essentially political, is left in the hands of individuals and socio-political organizations to pursue.
It is fortuitous that noble and eminent elderstatesmen like Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Arc. Victor Atta, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Solomon Asemota SAN, leader of Ethnic NationalitiesForum, are still around to lend powerful voices to the unavoidable and indispensable project of restructuring Nigeria.
The coalition of the Middlebelt Forum, Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, and PANDEF is resolute in continuing the struggle.
There are indications that President Tinubu is still desirous of a restructured Nigeria, but l imagine that he needs a certain kind of help from the political class and socio-political organizations.
What we owe our departed frontline leaders, Chief Edwin Clark and Chief Ayo Adebanjo, is to redouble our efforts to actualize the realization of true federalism in Nigeria which these iconic leaders devoted their lives to until they were recalled by their Creator.
