The erstwhile secretary of the defunct National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Chief Ayo Opadokun, called President Bola Tinubu to return the country to actual federal constitutional governance.
He. described actual federal constitutional governance as the foundation of Nigeria’s independence.
He urged Tinubu to take bold steps to correct historical wrongs and restore the nation to its original federal structure.
Opadokun spoke at the 21st Christmas Carol event, themed “Rejoice,” in Offa, the state’s Offa local government area.
“The nation must return to federal constitutional governance, upon which we secured our independence. All that we are doing is chasing shadows,” he said.
Opadokun also stressed the need for Tinubu to demonstrate “real determination” when addressing governance challenges.
He expressed deep concern over electoral malpractices, particularly the prevalence of vote-buying during elections, which he described degrading to voters and democracy.
“Taking five thousand, one thousand naira, or even bread during election time is unfortunate. It doesn’t make people responsible; it lowers their worth and dignity,” Opadokun said.
On the nation’s socio-economic challenges, Opadokun attributed Nigeria’s struggles to decades of mismanagement, particularly during military regimes.
Opadokun also criticised the legacies of colonial rule and military interventions, blaming them for eroding Nigeria’s cultural and educational values.
“The British and the military destroyed our national values and substituted them with theirs. Between 1845 and 1848, missionaries pleaded for using local languages to teach children, but they refused. Today, Nigeria is the largest English-speaking country in the world,” he stated.
While addressing the gathering, the elder statesman urged Nigerians to reassess their roles in the nation’s challenges, highlighting the need for societal reforms and collective responsibility.
“Many of us, in the lower and elite cadres, have been complicit in perverting societal values. The middle class has been obliterated, and most of the wealthy today benefited from the military’s misguided policies,” he added.
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