There is no doubt on the minds of discerning Nigerians, including the political class, that what is needed to empower the protracted Nigerian national project is the urgent need to reset Nigeria’s federalism through a crucial restructuring.

We must avoid being ensnarled by the fetishism of design, particularly the fetishism of constitutional design, implied in the faith placed in, for example, True Federalism or Restructuring, as the solution, impliedly the final solution to the problem of democracy and federalism in our country.

With presidential campaigns commencing end of next month, Nigerians are justifiably worried that the candidates are more engrossed in petty matters than generating and debating the big ideas that could pull the nation back from the cliff.

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has identified restructuring as the only panacea to address the myriad of challenges confronting the nation, particularly insecurity.

Participants at a national political dialogue on the constitutional future of Nigeria, in Abuja, yesterday, unanimously called for restructuring of the country.

(a) an Inspector-General of Police who, subject to section 216(2) of this Constitution shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council from among serving members of the Nigeria Police Force;

The author specifically notes the impact of uniform tax decree that made it impossible for the states to vary taxes besides abolishing export duties and sales tax and imposing uniform fuel pricing system on revenue.

A think-tank of Yoruba professionals, intellectuals and entrepreneurs, The Yoruba Leadership and Peace Initiative (TYLPI), has urged Nigerians to take the initiative and begin the process of producing a new constitution for the country rather than wait in vain for the National Assembly to do so.

The Yoruba Leadership and Peace Initiative (TYLPI) is to hold a national seminar on the restructuring of Nigeria with a view to providing clarity on the subject.

The above quote is from a column I wrote in 2017 to debunk the notion that religion alone is and has always been at the core of the perennial conflicts in the North.

It is a very complex situation to analyse. But my opinion is that the insecurity in the nation now is as a result of insincerity of leadership; insincerity of leadership in relaying matters exactly as they are, insincerity of leadership in confessing their weaknesses...

All the issues and the contradictions besetting the floundering Nigerian state are piling up and the relief that is seen is a benumbing heap of problems.