Politics
Sovereign National Conference And Nigeria’s Polity
If they want to initiate moves to breakup the country, fine, if they want to secede and form their own Oduduwa Republic or the MOSSOB people want to re-enact the Biafran tragedy, they are welcome to it. But they should know that it is not going to be their own decision only; it is going to be the decision of all Nigerians.”
These were the words of social critic and second Republic parliamentarian, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, who, by his closeness to the corridors of power in Nigeria in a long while, and attachment to governance can unarguably be regarded as an elder-statesman. He spoke at a recent meeting he convened on the nagging issue of Sovereign National Conference (SNC).
Put subtly, Mohammed expressed the opinion that those who clamour for a SNC are doing so out of their selfish interest, either to favour themselves, or the group they represent as against the idea that it is in the interest of the country at large.
In an interview in “The Sun” of March 4, 2012, Mohammed hinted that having an SNC is not a wrong idea but that all key stakeholders in the Nigerian State must be given an opportunity to be represented, if for nothing, to avoid a reoccurrence of the 1967 to 1970 Nigerian Civil War.
According to Mohammed, “Where an issue has become a national issue, rightly or wrongly, whether the issue has been properly defined at all, and we are at the risk of being dragged or pushed to slip into another Civil War, without knowing it, I think anybody of conscience, especially those of us who are young men, we have a responsibility to say, ‘look, yes here I am, if this is a valid and meaningful discussion, I will participate.’
Consequently, he said “let us go ahead to have the conference, but I want to warn every Nigerian that what they call Sovereign National Conference is nothing but a complete transfer of power from the current leaders of the executive branch, from the legislative and even certain judicial powers to the SNC, which will be sovereign, it will be the ultimate authority in the land.”
Part of Mohammed’s grievance over the call for a SNC stems from his belief that proponents of the conference consulted Balarabe Musa, who allegedly spoke as a representative of the Northern Nigeria.
“That, to me, showed the level of duplicity and audacity of this people and those behind the calls for the SNC. If you want people to be represented, you look for their genuine representatives, the genuine people who speak for them.
“Whether what they say is pleasant or not, you know that they are speaking for some people. If you speak to a rather nobody like Balarabe Musa, then he will speak for nobody. Then when it suits you, you say that Balarabe Musa is representing the North, and when it does not suit you, you say the North does not like SNC.”
On record, proponents of the call for an SNC express the belief that the National Assembly, made up of the Senate and House of Representatives, as constituted, will be incapable to come up with a truly representative Nigerian constitution which would comprehensively address the anomalies in the Nigerian State, hence the call for an SNC, which they believe, will be more representative of all facets of the Nigerian populace.
They say from decisions that would be reached at the proposed conference, an improved federal constitution will be drafted from the 1999 edition.
However, renowned legal luminary, Chief Ricahrd Akinjide, thought otherwise; according to him, “people think as long as you change the constitution, things will change. I don’t accept that, I think that is nonsense.
“The fault is not in the constitution, it is in the people.” He gave credence to the Chinese constitution, saying as small as it is, it takes care of a far higher population than Nigeria.
“Go and look at the Chinese constitution, it is a very small document, and is being used to govern 1.4 billion people so, even if you summon another conference and write a new constitution, can you tell me it is going to work?”
The major problem, Akinjide said, is that “Nigeria is just a country, not a nation.”
This, he explained, is because “you have people shouting they want Yoruba President, they want Igbo President, and they want Northern President. Why don’t we say we want a Nigerian President?
“No matter from which part of the country he or she comes from, until we see ourselves as brothers and sisters, this nation cannot move forward.
“The problem we have is that when somebody from another section is the President, another person is agitating and wanting the President to come from their area as if the other President is not elected by the people of the country,” he said.
This, to a large extent, adds credence to the activities of the Boko Haram sect with base in the North, which has produced the greatest number of the country’s leadership from independence in 1960. Boko Haram’s initial grudge was against Western education including its development paradigm, which they claim was inimical to their existence and why they would prefer a Sharia country.
Currently, they claim their actions are necessitated by apparent poverty in the North, warranted by unjust revenue allocation, as alleged recently by Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, with full backing by northern governors as clearly enunciated by Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State. He said his state got between N2.4bn and N4.5bn monthly allocation, while some others got 20 times the amount.
Therefore, “it will not serve any useful purpose if some parts are not doing well while others are doing exceptionally well,” hence “the pressure from Boko Haram will continue until we are able to find a solution.”
The question, therefore, is how will this solution, or whatever solution for that matter, come if there is no opportunity for dialogue by the Nigerian populace which constitute the sovereignty of the country?
Meanwhile, the Senate says any quest for a change in the political configuration of the country must be pursued through members of the National Assembly because it must follow stipulations of the constitution, particularly Section 9, which prescribed how the constitution may be amended.
However, The sun, as quoted earlier, disagrees with this stand in its editorial, saying “We disagree with the position of the Senate that Nigerians can only dialogue on the way forward and the best political configuration for the country through the politicians in the National Assembly.
“This preposterous idea stands on its head. Sovereignty without any equivocation belongs to the people, and not the politicians in the National Assembly. Election of politicians as representatives of the people in the National Assembly does not in any way limit Nigerians’ right to self-expression and self-determination. Legislators should be subject to the wishes of the Nigerian people, and not the other way round. Any view contrary to this is an affront on democracy.”
Senator Pius Akpor Ewherido, representing Delta Central Senatorial District seems to have this in mind when he said in The Nation of Thursday, March 15, that “the democratic institutions that you see are not as free as you look at them. So you cannot just come up and say it should be as it is in the constitution.
“The provisions in the constitution are being flouted daily and nothing is happening.”
There could not have been a better picture than the fore-going that the issue about the SNC is not whether it should hold, but how best it can be held in such a way that decisions will truly represent all facets of the Nigerian state, without prejudice to any personal interest seem to be the crux of the matter, and on which concentration should be focused for a better Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh, the party said it had taken note of Mr Obi’s defection alongside some of his supporters, as well as what it called a “lacklustre speech” delivered by the former Anambra State governor at the defection event.
“We wondered what new he intends to sell to Nigerians,” the party said, adding that it was not surprised by the move, having “since September 2024, parted ways with Peter Obi and some of his blind supporters in the National Assembly.”
According to the statement, the faction said it had patiently awaited Mr Obi’s exit, describing it as a blessing.
“The party is finally liberated by this defection and as party leaders, we count it as a blessing,” the party said.
The faction further disclosed that it had previously urged Mr Obi and his supporters to leave if they were unable to work with the party leadership.
It claimed that several lawmakers had been suspended for anti-party activities and that similar action would have been taken against Mr Obi but for the intervention of “some well-meaning Nigerians.”
It also blamed its internal crisis on Mr Obi and Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, accusing them of sponsoring what it described as an insurrection against the Julius Abure-led leadership.
“The crisis we had in the Labour Party was caused by Peter Obi and the Abia State governor, Alex Otti,” the statement alleged, adding that it was surprising Dr Otti had not followed Mr Obi out of the party despite his suspension.
Reacting to Mr Obi’s defection event in Enugu, the faction claimed the gathering was largely boycotted by prominent political and traditional institutions in the South East, insisting that those present were “political spent forces who cannot win in their wards should there be an election today.”
It warned that this development signalled the failure of any future Mr Obi presidential or vice-presidential ambition, claiming he had “clearly lost the charm that had endeared him to the people prior to 2023.”
The faction also accused Mr Obi of misleading the South East during the 2023 elections, alleging that the region suffers political marginalisation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a result.
“He must be told that the South East lost out completely in President Ahmed Tinubu’s government because they trusted and believed in him in 2023,” the statement said, alleging disparities in ministerial appointments and infrastructure allocation to the zone.
The Abure-Led LP apologised to Nigerians for its decision in the last election.
“We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake. We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians,” the party said.
It urged Nigerians to watch out for a rebranded Labour Party, promising to present “the best prospect” capable of returning Nigeria to what it described as its “glorious days.”
steadily toward unity, justice, and shared prosperity”, he said.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at his country home in Ikere-Ekiti, Dr Oluyede said the development came as a shock, stressing that INEC supervised and monitored the PDP governorship primary that produced him as the party’s candidate.
According to him, INEC officials documented the process, completed all required forms, and even affirmed his candidacy in court through sworn affidavits arising from cases linked to the primary election.
He maintained that no court order or injunction currently restrains INEC from listing his name as the PDP candidate, arguing that the electoral body lacks the constitutional power to determine who emerges as a party’s nominee.
Dr Oluyede described such decisions as the exclusive responsibility of political parties, not the electoral umpire.
While playing down panic over the released list, Dr Oluyede noted that electoral processes often involve reviews and corrections.
He disclosed that he had commenced wide consultations, including engagements with PDP leadership and formal correspondence with INEC, to seek clarification on the omission and determine the next line of action.
The PDP candidate assured his supporters across Ekiti State that he would appear on the ballot, expressing confidence that the situation would be resolved in his favour.
He described attempts to exclude candidates from elections as dangerous and undemocratic, warning that such tactics undermine the people’s right to freely choose their leaders.
Dr Oluyede called on the people of Ekiti to reject any form of disenfranchisement, insisting that elections should be contests of ideas, records, and acceptance by the electorate rather than exclusionary maneuvers.
He also declared that the PDP in Ekiti had resolved its past internal crises and was now united, focused, and ready to win the forthcoming governorship election.
He urged party members and supporters to remain calm and focused, expressing optimism that, with divine grace and the will of the people, the PDP would emerge victorious at the polls.
Mr Obi spoke while formally declaring for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at a well-attended event in Enugu on Wednesday, where he outlined what he described as a fresh roadmap for rescuing the country from its socio-economic challenges.
Addressing party members, supporters and other stakeholders, the former governor stressed that leadership must be driven by integrity and accountability, warning against the culture of double standards in public office.
“We cannot continue to deceive our people. Leadership is about telling the truth and leading by example. You cannot promise one thing in public and do another in private. That is not leadership, and that is not the change Nigeria needs”, Mr Obi said.
He maintained that genuine national rebirth would only be possible if entrenched wrongs were corrected, adding that governance must be guided by competence, discipline and a clear sense of purpose.
Mr Obi also underscored the need for fresh thinking in the nation’s political space, urging political actors to move away from recycled ideas that have failed to deliver sustainable development.
“We must come with new ideas,” he said, adding that “Nigeria’s problems are not mysterious; what has been lacking is the courage and competence to address them differently. We need a new approach that puts people first and focuses on production, not consumption.”
Calling for a broad based political collaboration, Mr Obi appealed to parties and stakeholders across ideological divides to work together in the national interest.
“This country is bigger than any party or individual. All parties must come together to change the present trend. What matters is not the platform, but the future of Nigeria and the wellbeing of its citizens”, he declared.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Mr Obi challenged aspirants seeking elective offices to ensure transparency in their credentials, warning that the era of falsified certificates was drawing to a close.
“Anyone contesting for any position in 2027 must come with genuine certificates. All the machinery is now in place to verify what is genuine and what is not. Integrity must start from the very foundation of leadership”, he stated.
Drawing lessons from international development models, Mr Obi cited Rwanda and Indonesia as examples of countries that rose from difficult beginnings to become thriving economies through disciplined leadership and sound policies.
“These countries were once behind us,” he noted, adding that “Today, they are moving ahead because they chose competent leadership, clear vision and policies that support local production and human capital development.”
He also criticised the economic policies of the present administration, particularly the continued importation of food items that can be produced locally, describing such practices as inimical to national development.
“You cannot grow an economy by killing local production. Importing food that we can produce in Nigeria destroys jobs, weakens our farmers and drains our foreign exchange. A serious country must produce what it consumes”, he argued.
The event featured renewed calls from ADC supporters for sustained engagement and mobilisation, as Mr Obi reiterated his belief that Nigeria remains redeemable if led with honesty, competence and a commitment to shared national progress.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, expressed confidence in the emerging coalition, assuring Nigerians that the party would deliver good governance at all levels of administration if entrusted with power.
The gathering also witnessed the defection of several prominent politicians from different political parties across the South-East and beyond.
The motion endorsing the defection was moved by a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, and seconded by former economic adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Osita Ogbu.
Goodwill messages from notable political figures, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Mrs. Aisha Yesufu, Chief Sam Egwu, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Achike Udenwa, Mr Onyema Ugochukwu and Senator Gilbert Nnaji among others, further underscored the growing momentum within the ADC.
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