On Democracy Day, Chief Gani Adams, the leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), spoke about how Nigeria needs real federalism to grow faster. He made this call during the 25th OPC June 12 Lecture in Lagos.
Adams, who is also the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland and head of the Oodua Progressive Union worldwide, said Nigeria cannot move forward without proper restructuring. He said true federalism is very important for the country’s development.
He talked about the June 12, 1993 election as a very important moment in Nigeria’s history. But, even after 32 years, Nigeria has not made much progress because it does not have true federalism yet.
According to Adams, to make a country better, its political system must change from time to time.
He said the gathering was not just to remember Aare Abiola and others who died between 1993 and 1998, but also to speak some hard truths about Nigeria today.
Adams added that Nigeria faces many problems because some leaders refuse to restructure the country. He said that in honor of Abiola and other martyrs, the country must be restructured, whether people like it or not.
He explained that the sooner Nigeria is restructured, the better it will be for everyone, because peace and security cannot be guaranteed without it.
Adams suggested that if every community could control its own security forces and use good intelligence, the killings in Nigeria would stop.
He said June 12 should inspire Nigeria to improve its politics, economy, elections, and justice system quickly.
Adams warned that insecurity, poverty, and problems in the courts are growing, and Nigerians must fight kidnapping and crime smartly through restructuring now.
He also said Nigeria’s election system needs to be changed to give more power to local areas.
Finally, Adams said Nigeria can become great, but if leaders keep rejecting restructuring and development, the country will stay stuck.
In his keynote speech, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, said the 1999 Constitution is a major problem holding Nigeria back.
Falana, speaking through Mr. Wale Adeoye, said June 12 means different things to different people, but mostly it shows the courage and strong spirit of Nigerians.
He said June 12 proves that Nigerians can unite beyond their ethnic differences and beat bad systems. It shows their fight for life and justice.
Falana also remembered many pro-democracy activists who lost their lives during the June 12 struggle. He praised Gani Adams for his dedication to making June 12’s ideals real.
Falana said the 1999 Constitution, which was written by the military, does not meet the hopes of Nigerians for democracy.
He called the constitution a big obstacle to peace, progress, and growth in the country.
On the issues of poverty and insecurity, Falana said Nigerians must come together and answer the country’s important questions to find solutions.
