Politics
National Confab: Matters Arising
There is truly hardly any
misgiving regarding the need to have a dialogue, a national dialogue, in order to decide how Nigeria should be governed. In fact, Nigerians are really itching to talk about their future as many agree that th country is inching towards failure in terms of governance, equitable distribution of the nation’s resources, rule of law and other sundry issues.
What is, however, doubtful is the genuine purpose of the dialogue and whether at the end of the day it can truly pass for the type of national conference that a truly democratic mind anticipates. For instance, would the talk lead to the resolution of the nagging issues that are believed to be creating friction in the polity?
Such issues as true federalism, resource control, state police, rotational presidency, federal character or even the outright disintegration of the country, which some have suggested as the most reasonable way to go for the country given its highly multi-lingual nature.
Or would it, in the words of William Shakespeare, be full of sound and fury but hardly signifying anything meaningful to the common man as previous ones? These are the questions that require urgent answers before delegates from all shades of views about Nigeria converge for the national dialogue which President Goodluck Jonathan surprisingly promised during his Independence Day address as part of events marking the country’s 53rd anniversary.
In the speech, President Jonathan announced the formation of an advisory committee to steer the process leading to the conference, which he has momentarily christened “National Dialogue”. The committee is headed by a chieftain of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, and a Second Republic Senator, Femi Okurounmu, while a former Political Adviser to the President, Akilu Sani Ndabawa, is secretary.
Other members of the committee include: former Nigeria Ambassador to the United States (U.S.), Professor George Obiozor; respected constitutional lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze (who declined the appointment citing age as reason); Senator Khairat Gwadabe, Senator Timothy Adudu, Col. Tony Nyiam (rtd.), Professor Funke Adebayo, Dr. Mairo Ahmed Amshi, Dr. Abubakar Sadiq , Dauda Birma, Buhari Bello and Tony Uranta.
Inaugurating the members, President Jonathan noted: “Fellow Nigerians, our administration has taken cognisance of suggestions over the years by well-meaning Nigerians on the need for a national dialogue on the future of our beloved country. When there are issues that constantly stoke tension and bring about friction, it makes perfect sense for the interested parties to come together to discuss.
“In demonstration of my avowed belief in the positive power of dialogue in charting the way forward, I have decided to set up an advisory committee whose mandate is to establish the modalities for a national dialogue or conference. The committee will also design a framework and come up with recommendations as to the form, structure and mechanism of the process.
The full membership of the committee will be announced shortly. I expect its report to be ready in one month, following which the nation will be briefed on the nomenclature, structure and modalities of the dialogue.”
The President’s decision to convoke a National Conference or Sovereign National Conference (whichever he finally settles for) is a remarkable departure from his earlier stance. This is because he was one of the opponents of such conference on the ground that the National Assembly remains the valid representative of the people because, as he noted, the members were elected to discuss on behalf of their people.
This is the crux of the matter. It has also been, from all indications, the only reason for the unnecessarily prolonged dilly-dallying of the presidency on the issue of not only naming, but also making the proposed conference sovereign. The situation is not made any easier by the position of many within the corridors of power who have vowed to ensure that the word “sovereign” is never included in the conference.
One of them is Senate President, David Mark, who recently said “I’ll crush the bid to add ‘sovereignty’ to the National Conference”. In 2001, when pressed on the issue of the virtues of convening a sovereign national conference, President Olusegun Obasanjo unequivocally said something similar: “I cannot surrender the sovereignty that was given to me by the Nigerian people”.
As it stands, while the North is vehemently opposed to a sovereign national conference, the South, East and a majority of the West are clamouring for it. Some northern Governors have, in fact, been reported to refuse to send people from their State to “any conference”, while some leaders from the area have started singing war songs to counter calls for national conference.
Also, pundits from the North have not ceased to argue that “our constitution is not the problem. It is the people that use the constitution that needs to be upgraded”. It is therefore not surprising that just as President Jonathan was announcing that the final destination of the outcome of the conference is the National Assembly, spokesman for the most authoritative socio-cultural organization in the North, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), stated its stand unequivocally:
“The ACF does not believe that the problem with Nigeria is the structure of the country or the pattern of governance … for now, we do not have any position to present to them (the Advisory Committee) because we did not ask for a conference in the first place”, a statement quoted the leadership of the ACF.
The seeming indifference of the North over what has become a desperate quest by a majority of the parts that constitute the Nigerian state, and the almost sarcastic confidence with which the leadership of the ACF states its stand is an apparent indication of their knowledge that without cooperation from the northern members in the National Assembly, there can be no two-thirds to alter a single sentence in the current constitution, no matter the number of conferences.
Is this the reason behind the current rigmarole of sending the outcome of the proposed conference to the National Assembly for vetting? If this is true, as it obviously seem, then the rest of the country is, to say the least, endangered. This is because if the reverse was the case in the call for the sovereign national conference, the decision would have been made easily, probably with little thought about its implications on the rest of the country.
This explains why key stakeholders in the country have expressed the belief that the current proposed national conference will end up in the waste bin as previous ones because like President Obasanjo, the Presidency and National Assembly would not want to surrender the sovereignty that was given to them by the Nigerian people, since that is the implication of a “sovereign” national conference.
In the words of the former Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Ango Abdullahi, “a sovereign national conference will create a new level playing field for Nigerians to decide their future.
“In doing so, everyone, including the President, governors, and lawmakers at national and state council levels must vacate their offices and allow for a truly sovereign national conference to take over the running of the country”.
The extent to which this can be achieved remains to be seen.
President Goodluck Jonathan (middle), Vice-President Namadi Sambo (4th right) with members of the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue after their inauguration in Abuja , recently. Photo: NAN
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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