Former Minister of Information and ex-President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, has warned that Nigeria risks disintegration before the 2027 general elections unless urgent steps are taken to restructure the country.
Delivering a keynote lecture titled “How Did We Get Here?” during the public presentation of two books authored by veteran journalist Ike Abonyi, Nwodo criticised Nigeria’s governance model, describing it as a “unitary constitution masquerading as federalism” that fails to address the nation’s complex challenges.
The event, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Wednesday, drew several prominent political figures, including Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi; PDP chieftain Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu-Deen; and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, represented by the Director-General of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Emmanuel Agbo.
Nwodo advocated for the devolution of powers to the regions, resource control by sub-national governments, and the implementation of fiscal federalism. He warned that failure to implement these reforms could trigger a constitutional crisis.
“Nigeria must restructure and give its component units sovereignty over their natural resources, provided they pay royalties or taxes to the Federal Government to fund responsibilities such as external defense, foreign missions, customs, and immigration. That’s how true democracy will emerge, and development will accelerate,” Nwodo stated.
He further cautioned that if restructuring is not achieved before the 2027 elections, some regions may boycott the polls or reject the results, pushing the nation further into instability.
“If it does not happen, we will have no alternative but to go our separate ways,” he added.
Nwodo also pointed to dire socioeconomic conditions—high youth unemployment, deepening poverty, and deteriorating infrastructure—as indicators of national decline.
Citing the UN World Population Prospects 2025 report, he noted that Nigeria now has the world’s lowest life expectancy at 54.8 years. He also referenced World Bank data indicating the country loses over $1 billion annually due to poor road infrastructure.
Also speaking at the event, former PDP National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus accused President Bola Tinubu of overseeing what he called the “gradual liquidation” of Nigeria’s democracy and economy.
“We are still far from achieving true democracy. What we have is merely a platform for winning elections. Nigeria is drifting toward collapse, and President Tinubu is presiding over it,” Secondus said.
He also criticised the country’s political parties for lacking ideology and consistency, contrasting them with South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC), which he described as an enduring political institution.
Veteran journalist and former Guardian MD, Martins Oloja, who reviewed Abonyi’s books—The Bubbles of Nigeria’s Democracy: The Musings of a Nigerian Journalist and Wadata Wonders: Memoirs of a Partisan Journalist—praised the author for openly embracing his identity as a partisan journalist.
Oloja argued that this approach provides a necessary challenge to Nigeria’s traditional expectation of media neutrality.
“The author demonstrates throughout both books that in a functional democracy, alternative viewpoints are essential. They empower citizens with diverse perspectives, foster critical thinking, and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable society,” Oloja said.
Peter Obi’s attendance at the event sparked speculation about a possible political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections, although he made no public comment during the event.
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