Democracy: Nigeria needs total restructuring — Pat Utomi

A political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to restructure the country before the 2027 general election.

Professor Utomi made the call while speaking at the June 12 Annual Democracy Day National Dialogue in Ikeja, Lagos State on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme, organised by the June 12 Pro-Democracy Movement of Nigeria, was themed: “Democracy Without A Democratic Constitution: Which Way for Nigeria?”

Utomi said that Nigeria’s democracy would be strengthened with total restructuring.

He said: “The agitation for total restructuring will stabilise and advance democracy in the country.

“This is because the present democracy is not the type of democracy Chief Abiola sacrificed his life for.”

Utomi said that the present political and economic structure of the country and “the unworkable 1999 constitution” were a big challenge for democracy.

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He appealed to all Nigerians to accept restructuring as a vehicle for deepening democracy and strengthening the country.

He said the President would win the confidence of the electorate if he listened to the agitations of Afenifere, Ohaneze, and other ethnic groups on restructuring.

He urged Nigerians to guard democracy jealously and be wary of anti-democracy forces and their agents in the country.

The economist lauded all citizens for sacrifices for the enthronement of democratic rule in the country.

Also speaking, Dr Kalu Idika Kalu, a former Minister of Finance, said he was confident that Nigeria would rise again.

Kalu said the bid to have a better country had motivated him and some other leaders of thought to agitate for a new, workable constitution.

Also speaking, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Wahab Shittu, said what the country needed at the moment was a democratic culture, including a people-led constitution.

Shittu said the new constitution would be subjected to the referendum of the Nigeria people.

He said the referendum of the people of Nigeria was lacking in the making of the present 1999 Nigeria constitution.

The legal practitioner said the country was in need of a constitution that would be driven and led by the Nigeria people, not the one that would be imposed on them.

Earlier, the June 12 Pro-Democracy Movement of Nigeria urged the President to facilitate a process of national dialogue and consultation that would give birth to a democratic people’s constitution.

The convener of the movement, Wale Okunniyi, said Tinubu could gladden the hearts of June 12 activists if he was able to implement the process of national dialogue during his tenure.