Ayo Adebanjo, a prominent figure in Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, warns that hunger protests, escalating insecurity, and the plummeting value of the naira are ominous indicators of Nigeria’s impending collapse.
In a conversation with TheCable on Saturday, Adebanjo emphasized the urgent need to restructure Nigeria’s constitution to embrace true federalism, asserting that without this fundamental reform, lasting peace will remain elusive.
His remarks come at a pivotal moment, as the national assembly prepares to embark on amending the 1999 constitution. With 40 proposed amendment bills already submitted, the constitution review committee is slated to convene on Monday, February 26.
Advocating for a complete overhaul of the current constitution, Adebanjo argued that mere amendments would be insufficient to address the deep-seated issues plaguing the nation.
“The pervasive insecurity and economic woes stem from the flawed constitutional framework we operate under. Genuine progress is unattainable until this constitution undergoes substantial revision. We need a surgical intervention to rectify its shortcomings,” he asserted.
Highlighting the futility of incremental changes, Adebanjo stressed the imperative of reverting to a federalist model akin to the 1963 constitution.
“We must restore true federalism, granting autonomy to the federating states. Anything less than reverting to the 1963 constitution is futile and will only prolong our collective woes,” he concluded.
