Ahead of the 2023 elections, The Core Federalist Movement has listed restructuring as the most important priority needed to lift Nigeria from socio-political troubles.
In a statement on Thursday, the group said Nigeria is sliding into deeper instability and that restructuring the country will bring hope from despair and reduce the prospect of a major unrest
The statement signed by regional representatives of the group is coming on the heels of the one year anniversary of the death of one of the group’s main founder, Mr Yinka Odumakin.
The group said the Senate of the 9th National Assembly (NASS) recently passed 49 out of 68 Constitution Alteration Bills.
It noted that in 2017, there were 32 Alteration Bills and several more years before adding that recent and previous alterations of the I999 Constitution strengthen the widely held views that it is inadequate to meet the federalism needs of Nigeria for a national compact required to meet the minimum standards conducive for ordering public life.
The Federalist said in Nigeria, to limit, organise and regulate power in a way that guarantees freedom, efficiency and unity in plurality, autonomy and are key to sustainable development.
“Everyone knows and understands the issues (Southern Governors Forum, APC Governors Report, NASS Alteration Bills, and recent #ENDSARS protest) but the Elite lack the will to do what is right for the progress of federalism as intended by the founding fathers of Nigeria from the Lancaster House debates” the Federalist said.
The group said to ensure that the voices and will of Nigerians are clearly expressed as the primary Agenda for votes in 2023 urge Nigerians to see Federalist changes in the following priority areas:
1 A Federal Democratic Republic that constitutionally provides for the following under seal of a Referendum of a minimum of 51% of eligible voters in not less than four (4) of the six (6) geopolitical zones to legitimate:
2 An agreed list of founding federal democratic principles underpinning national governance;
Federal devolution of authority/power to all tiers of government for enabling the provision, maintenance and enforcement of law, order and security governance [policing (all tiers) and armed forces (federal and geo-political zonal)] ;
Federal devolution of authority/power for enabling the socio-economic empowerment of federating units towards job creation and the wellbeing of citizens though devolution of mining, licensing of power and energy supply services, conduct of marriages, transport and logistics safety regulation, licensing concessions for Ports and jetties, dry-ports and inland waterways, with regulated federal royalties and stamp duties;
3 Consociation arrangements for accommodation, cooperation and managing democratic transitions including but not limited to power rotation, zoning, power shifts at national and sub-national levels;
4 Explicit clauses for national and sub-national referendum for public participation in critical decisions with administrative triggers for initiating and conducting such referenda;
Explicit clauses enabling allocative justice including derivation principles agreed upon as enabling Federalism and the sustainability of federating units;
5 Explicit clauses enabling universal suffrage, free, fair and credible elections;
Provisions for sub-national constitutions in the form of geo-political zonal constitutions to foster the developmental aspirations of the sub-national entities that make up the Nigeria Federal nation.
The Core Federalist movement calls on all Nigerians as a matter of urgency to insist upon these priority constitutional reforms to be sealed by a referendum before the main general elections.
Signed
Mark Adebayo South West
Otoks Princewill South South
Humphrey Orjiakor South East
Mark Jacobs Middle Belt
