BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The National Democratic Coalition, a non-partisan platform formed to reject the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election, has described the executive presidential system of government, which Nigeria currently operates, as destructively corrupt and declared that it should be abolished.
NADECO, in a statement issued on Sunday to mark the June 12 Anniversary, titled, “June 12 and the Search for Democracy,” lambasted former President Muhammadu Buhari and former President Olusegun Obasanjo for allegedly destroying democracy and imposing the current system on the country during their military regimes.
The group, therefore, called on President Bola Tinubu to swiftly restructure Nigeria along the Independent and Republic Constitution if the nation would overcome its challenges.
While stressing that the executive presidential system is not sustainable, NADECO said the most lasting and worthy legacy that President Tinubu should pursue is to legally and constitutionally restore Nigeria back to federal constitutional governance which it said was the basis upon which the heterogeneous peoples accepted to be part of the Nigerian project.
Failure to urgently restructure, the group, which described the annulment of the victory of M. K. O. Abiola of the SDP on June 12, 1993 as contemptuous, provocative and tyrannical, noted that Tinubu’s legacies might be destroyed by the next Nigerian president.
It blamed the military in agbada, including Buhari and Obasanjo, for preventing the growth of democracy in the nation.
The group stated, “The military in agbada has now spent 16 years as the so called civilian rulers. A combination of the military rulership of Nigeria in uniform and mufti total up into 28 plus 16 years, making 44 years out of 62 post-independence of Nigeria.
“There is no denying the fact that whenever and wherever the military conquers and or captures a geographic space, everything-human and material resources therein have become part of the spoil of war.
Since Nigeria was captured on January 15, 1966, all of us including our democratic culture, value system, and ethos have become part of the military spoils of war.”
“The consequences of the prolonged military dictatorship include the fundamental fact that they have prevented the growth of democracy, democratisation, expansion and consolidation of democratic features and culture in Nigeria. Because over 65 percent of Nigerians are young people, most of them have never experienced democracy and its features. All that they have always known is the culture of military dictate/command structure. The concept of popular will is alien and strange to them.
“NADECO, therefore, will expect President Tinubu to return Nigeria to the path of Federal Constitutional Governance upon which Nigeria secured her independence and which most ethnic nationalities leaders, civil society bodies, opinion leaders, had vigorously campaigned for in the last 30 years at least.
“This is because while we practiced the federal constitution, there were spectacular and visible developments, by the regional and national governments. The economic policies lifted the people out of poverty and we were the envy of the black world and even our colonizers, Great Britain.
“As an activist and pro-democracy leader, there can be no excuse to retain this unsustainable system that negates all known transparent, technological and value driven, modern governance. President Tinubu perhaps was brought to government by providence, nay by God, to return Nigeria to the path of sanity where it would be able to establish a productive government that fastly lifts its people out of prolonged misery and poverty, modernise its education system, and organise its agricultural endowments to meet the value chain necessities required in the modern world where agriculture is organised as a business.
“NADECO therefore demands from President Tinubu to capture accurately the national mood and demands from his government to implement the report of Mallam Nasir El Rufai Panel which recommended that APC should fulfill its manifesto promise of returning Nigeria to Federal Constitutional Governance. Popular will is giving prominent recognition in modern governance.
“While a return to Federal Constitutional Governance will not immediately solve all the many infractions imposed by the military on our governance, most of the aberrations at the national and sub-national levels can be taken on board for resolutions. For example, the fear that states created whimsically to satisfy selfish interest of the military strongmen and their civilian friends and confederates will be reverted is unfounded. Mono Regions as you have in Germany, Canada, Belgium, will determine what is best suited for their regions.
“President Tinubu must be conscious of his place in history, timing is critical. Upgrading socio-political and economic, infrastructural are desirable and urgently needed considering our national endowment, but the most lasting and worthy legacy to pursue now and vigorously is to legally and constitutionally restore Nigeria back to federal constitutional governance which was the basis upon which the heterogeneous peoples accepted to be part of project Nigeria. Otherwise, whatever he possibly believed he has accomplished can be reversed within hours, weeks, months or years by the new ruler. This system is unsustainable. Our President must govern to meet current challenges and what his legacy will be after he has completed his tour of
duty.”
