By ADEYEMI ADELEYE

Chief Gani Adams, National Co-ordinator of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), a pan-Yoruba group, on Thursday called for true federalism in Nigeria to achieve accelerated development of the country.

Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, made the call while speaking at the 25th OPC June 12 Lecture in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lecture was titled “June 12 as a Catalyst for National Development: True Federalism and Nigeria’s Integration.”

Recalled that the June 12 presidential election which was won by late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, was annulled on June 23, 1993 by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.

Adams, also Convener, Oodua Progressive Union (OPU) Worldwide,said without true federalism and proper restructuring ,it would be difficult for the country to take its rightful place in the comity of nations.

While describing the June 12, 1993 election as a watershed in the country’s political history, Adams noted that 32 years down the line, Nigeria had not made desired progress owing to what he called absence of true federalism.

According to him, to transform a country, the shape of the polity must change periodically.

Adams said: “We are all gathered here today not only to honour the memory of Aare Abiola and others who died between 1993 and 1998, but to also tell ourselves some bitter truth.

“Nigeria is going through various crises today because some leaders are stubbornly against restructuring.

“In honour of Abiola and other martyrs, I want to say it pointedly that whether anybody likes it or not, this country will be restructured.

“And the earlier this is done, the better for all of us because there is no way we can guarantee peace and security if this country is not restructured.

“If this country is restructured in a way that every locality controls the instrumentality of security, backed by intelligence, the wanton killings of Nigerians will stop automatically.

According to him, June 12 should be catalyst for national development, hence need for political, economy, electoral and judiciary reforms, without delay, in honour of Abiola

Decrying increasing insecurity, poverty and judicial compromise, Adams added: “We must wage intelligent war against kidnapping in cities, towns and villages and the time for that fight is now through restructuring.

According to him, to honour Abiola, Nigeria’s electoral system must be restructured and decentralised.

“Nigeria is destined to be great but if the attitude of leaders to restructuring and development is negative, Nigeria is going nowhere,” Adams added.

Delivering the keynote address, Mr Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights lawyer, said that the 1999 constitution remained the major setback for the country.

Falana, who was represented Mr Wale Adeoye, noted that June 12 meant a lot of things to a lot of people, but to the majority of Nigeria it was demonstration of courage, resilience and iron- cast determination of the people of Nigeria.

“It means the ability of Nigerians to organise beyond their ethnic division, triumph of good over evil. It means if a system is bad, Nigerians can defeat that system. June 12 means life and death.

Nothing that many pro-democracy individuals were shot dead by the enemies of democracy during the June 12 struggle, Falana commended Adams for giving his vigour and life for the actualisation of June 12.

He said the 1999 constitution drafted by the military could not actualise the aspirations of the Nigerian people in a democracy.

“This is a major setback for Nigeria and there is no way we can talk about stability, progress and development,” he said.

On poverty, insecurity bedeviling the Nigeria, Falana said that there was the need for Nigeria to answer the national question.

Speaking, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, the President, Women Arise and Oluyinka Odumakin Foundation, said that June 12 symbolised ballot integrity and free choice.

She said the election was memorable as it was when Nigerians put aside primordial interests and voted across ethnic and religious lines.

Okei-Odumakin, who highlighted electoral malpractice as one of the problems facing Nigeria, said that many leaders lacked legitimacy, hence could not inspire desired progress.

The activist, while applauding leaders like Obafemi Awolowo, said, “if Abiola had been allowed to become the President, we would have had fiscal federalism, restructuring and other policies to end the groanings of ordinary Nigerians.

“Honesty, if Abiola was the President of Nigeria, there would have been a pro -people constitution as against the decree branded as constitution for us by the military.”

On integration, Okei-Odumakin who noted that Nigerians must agree to live together, called on President Bola Tinubu to make post humous declaration of MKO Abiola as a past President of Nigeria

Quoting her late husband and activist, Mr Yinka Odumakin, she said that the only vehicle for the revival of Nigeria was restructuring.

“Our experience now is motion without movement. Our constitution has to be considered. Restructuring does not mean balkanisation of the country. Our security architecture has to be restructured

“People who paid the supreme price must not be allowed to die in vain.

“As we force it down the throat of the government to accept June 12 as our Democracy Day and not May 29, we must retain our battle cry that Nigeria must be restructured,” she said.

Also, Mr Debo Adeniran, the Executive Director, Centre for Anti Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) and National President, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) said June 12 should be renamed MKO Abiola Day rather than Democracy Day.

Adeniran said that revisiting the foundation of Nigeria, the restructuring being advocated by many would not be sustainable.

Speaking, President-General of Igbo Speaking Community, Chief Sunday Udeh said Nigeria still had a long way to go to in reaping from what democracy and Abiola stood and died for.

Udeh said, “Igbo community aligns with the call for true federalism and restructuring, it is the way forward. It is not yet well with Nigeria. We must keep singing it until the right thing is done.”

Also, Alhaji Kudu Abubakar, the Vice President, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, who commended the Aare Ona Kakanfo for his clear vision and direction, urging President Bola Tinubu not to forget what June 12 represents

“Tinubu is our leader and we must speak the truth to him as one who was also in the June 12 struggle. Nigeria needs to move forward and we must continue to sing until it happens,” he said.

The event was attended by some rights activists and followers of late Chief MKO Abiola, leaders of thoughts and leaders of Southwest Security Outfit, codenamed Amotekun, among others. (NAN)

•PHOTO: The Aare in Council, of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), pro -democracy activists, other stakeholders at the 25th OPC June 12 Lecture on Thursday in Lagos.