According to NADECO, the 1963 Republican Constitution is one that guarantees ‘true federalism’ and ensures peaceful coexistence among the different tiers of government.
The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) has asked President Bola Tinubu to return Nigeria’s constitution to a republican constitution.
According to NADECO, the 1963 Republican Constitution is one that guarantees ‘true federalism’ and ensures peaceful coexistence among the different tiers of government.
NADECO made the request on Tuesday in a letter signed by its General Secretary and Spokesman, Ayo Opadokun.
The letter was addressed to President Tinubu.
The coalition stated that Nigeria has remained a country and not a nation to date “because the military had without Nigerians democratic approval truncated, illegally suspended, abrogated and replaced our negotiated independent constitution and replaced it with Unitary Constitution till date.”
NADECO in the letter stated that it wished to remind Tinubu “of the most important demand of our common and just struggle which was centred on the imperative necessity to return Nigeria to a Federal Constitutional Governance upon which we secured our independence”.
It continued, “The deceptively choreographed 1979 & 1999 Constitutions which preserved all the grave damages which successive military governments have forcefully imposed upon Nigeria remain the bane of Nigeria’s backwardness, stunted growth and unacceptable level of poverty.
“NADECO is more than convinced that a return to the Independence/ Republican Constitution will restore responsive and responsible government in the minimum as we grapple with the business of reconstructing our country which was successively overran/ damaged for the narrow personal interests of politicians in military uniform since January 15, 1966.
“All the many aberrations-political, legal, and structural which the different military dictators whimsically imposed on Nigeria can then be strategically corrected overtime.
“Mr. President, you were part of the Patriots who suffered deprivations, dehumanization, and hounding along with us as we spoke truth to the powers that forced themselves on us.
“Fortunately, your own party established the Governor El-Rufai Committee which recommended that the APC government should immediately fulfill its promise to return Nigeria to a Federal Constitutional Governance as contained in your Manifesto.
“All that we are requesting you to do is to use your good auspices and commit yourself to be faithful to the promise upon which your party was elected to office.”
