Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has called for a complete restructuring of Nigeria, stating that it is necessary for the country’s progress.
“A complete restructuring of Nigeria is needed at the moment if the country must move forward. What we should be talking about right now is what structure will work best for us,” Gov Makinde said while addressing the participants at the 12th Annual Zik Lecture on Thursday.
He identified the late Nnamdi “Zik” Azikwe as a dynamic individual who adapted to the times and speculated on what counsel Zik would provide in today’s world.
Read Also:
Gov Makinde assured that Azikwe would not call for divisiveness as a result of election outcomes but would instead work to unite the country and the entire African continent. “There would not have been the issue of ethnicity if we listened to what Zik told us in the past.”
He argued that the ethnic division seen in the country is fuelled by the concentration of power at the centre. “We should sit down and think of what would have happened if XYZ had become the president or we look at the healthy competition between us and use it to move the country forward.”
Makinde pointed out that the country could learn from Azikwe’s national outlook, condemning the use of ethnicity and religion as campaign tools in the recent 2023 elections.
“I was part of the G-5 governors then, who believed that the presidency should come to the southern part of Nigeria but some people said ‘Emi lo kan’,” he said.
Makinde concluded his address by emphasizing the importance of unity, saying, “We shouldn’t be talking of, should we be together. Of course, we are together.”
