Why 2023 Elections May Be Disrupted — Nwodo

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Friday, October 22nd, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – John Nwodo, former president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has stated that the delay in restructuring the country may cause a mass boycott or disruption of the 2023 elections.

Speaking at the 14th Anthony Cardinal Okogie Foundation (ACOF) annual lecture themed, ‘Whither Nigeria: Restructuring, Secession or Status Quo’, organised by Knights of St. John International and Ladies Auxiliary (KSJI), Nwodo stated that restructuring is needed for the unity and development of the country.

He stated that the independence and post-independence constitution were fixated on regional differences, which provide reach region a preference to develop along its revenue capability and needs.

The elder statesman stated that, sadly after the 1966 coup, the military created a unitary system for the country to suit its command structure and the structure which should have been discarded was firmly established in the 1999 constitution.

Speaking further, Nwodo stated that Nigeria’s fundamental problem has remained so since the 1999 constitution is not people centered but a military imposition that made the north to have undue advantages over other federating units in the country.

According to him, for the country to make progress, the military imposed constitution must be replaced with a more people-inclusive document.

“Our expectation now is that our president will address the situation by constituting a nationwide conversation of all ethnic nationalities to look into the 2014 national conference report and other trending views on this subject matter so as to come up with a consensus proposal,” he said.

He stated that the present APC-led leadership and other political stakeholders must do all they can “to restructure before the next election in 2023, because the level of dissatisfaction in the country as evidenced by the last ENDSARS protest gives one the impression that any delay may lead to a mass boycott or disruption of the next elections to the point that we may have a more serious constitutional crisis of a nation without a government”.