THE FUTURE OF THE NIGERIAN NATION

THE FUTURE OF THE NIGERIAN NATION:
Structure and Governance System for Nigeria’s Six Zones
by Dr. S. Okechukwu Mezu

Abstract:

The Igbos of the Lower Niger River, like the Hausas in the Upper Niger stretching to Niger, Chad and Sudan, Fula in Guinea, the Yoruba in the West of the River Niger extending to Benin Republic, like other ethnic nationalities, existed and had a structure and governance system  before the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, where Europeans, in a scramble for Africa, partitioned and destroyed African nations’ respective self-governance and autonomy leading in 1914 to the Amalgamation by Britain of the Southern and Northern Protectorates to create an unstable entity that is called today Nigeria.

      Independence in 1960 added political instability to the centrifugal forces of geography and ethnicity. Rather than wish away one hundred years of an acrimonious marriage blessed with children, even if they are quarrelsome, Nigeria needs decolonization. To realize this, we start from the known and generally accepted to the unknown – the entrenchment of the Six Zone structure as a basis for a confederation and a transformation and renaming of “Nigeria” to create federating units based on the Zonal structure, with the Southeast Zone for example, transforming itself following a referendum to Ala Igbo (Igbo Nation). Other zones will have the right to exercise similar options. Nigeria, thus decolonized, ceases to exist, becomes transformed into the United Nations of Africa. 

    This leaves open the possibility of other African nations joining the Union.  This paper attempts to provide a structure and governance system for such an Igbo Nation (Ala Igbo) and further postulates that with a similar decolonization of other amalgams created by Europeans as perpetually warring states in Africa and their unending internal squabbles and civil wars, a real United Nations of Africa will be created that respects individual freedom and ethnic sensibilities while laying the groundwork – the vision of Kwame Nkrumah, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sekou Toure, Patrice Lumumba, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Emperor Haile Selassie, Marcus Garvey, William Du Bois, etc. – for a United Nations of Africa for the glory of Africa at home and the diaspora.– Dr. S. Okechukwu Mezu

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On-going party registration

On-going party registration

Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and Dr. S. Okechukwu Mezu in Abuja
Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu and Dr. S. Okechukwu Mezu in Abuja

The website has received several inquiries from all over the world about diaspora registration of interested and prospective APC party members. In a statement released today by Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, one of the APC leaders and Chairman of one of the legacy parties, ANPP, Dr. Onu made it clear that “The current registration exercise is to prepare for the forthcoming party congresses and convention. As soon as this is over, continuous registration will commence which will also involve on line registration for all those who want to become members. If there is any change, you will also get to know.”

Earlier, the All Progressives Congress (APC) extended its nation-wide membership registration by two days to accommodate the millions of Nigerians who have turned out to register but could not yet do so. In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, February 9, 2014, the Interim National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the registration will now end on Wednesday, February 12th, instead of Monday, February 10th. “While we are aware that the good people of Nigeria have accepted our party, the APC, as the agent of the much-needed change that our country desperately needs at this time, we have apparently under-estimated the number of those who are eager and willing to participate actively in the change process by joining the APC.”

APC Membership Registration Begins Today

APC Membership Registration Begins Today

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has deployed personnel and materials to all the 36 states of the federation and Abuja for the take off of its membership registration which begins today.

Special Assistant to the interim national secretary of the party,Abdullahi Gashua stated that that the exercise will take place in all INEC designated polling units in the country ,adding that the party has sent a chairman and a secretary to each state and the FCT except Anambra to oversee the exercise.

He however added that depending on the peculiarities of some places and other consideration a more suitable place will be provided for people as an alternative to the designated polling units.

He however informed that, the exercise has already taken place in Anambra state before the election that took place in the state some months ago. He therefore said Anambra has been exempted from the current exercise as a result the registration for the last election.

He said the party is targeting as many members as possible not the 12 million earlier targeted for congresses and conventions as stated by the party before.

The APC membership registration exercise will end on February 10th 2014.

Atiku registers as APC member in Adamawa

Atiku registers as APC member in Adamawa

Four days after he announced his defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday registered his membership officially with the party.

He registered in his native Jada Village in Adamawa State.
Mr. Abubakar was until last Sunday a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He was vice president on the platform of the party between 1999 and 2007.

He, however, left the party following his stand-off with his former boss, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. He contested the 2007 presidential election in his new party, the defunct Action Congress, but lost.

Mr. Abubakar returned to the PDP in 2009 and was granted waiver by the party in September of the following year. He therefore contested the party’s presidential primaries, but lost to President Goodluck Jonathan, who eventually flew its flag in the 2011 election.

The Chairman of the APC in Adamawa State and that of Ganye Zone of the state conducted the membership registration where the former vice president was registered.
Mr. Abubakar, who was cheered by supporters who chanted APC in solidarity with him, had arrived at the registration centre at 2.12 p.m. and was handed a form by the zonal chairman, which he filled out along with an attached passport photograph.
At the end of the exercise, the state interim chairman handed Mr. Abubakar a detached slip from the form with No. 02000841, which would serve as a temporary membership card until a permanent and laminated one was issued to him.

Speaking with journalists, Mr. Abubakar, who holds the traditional title of Turaki Adamawa, charged his supporters nationwide to avail themselves of the opportunity by registering as members of the APC, so that together they could bring about the desired change.
“To make good on the change that you are earnestly yearning for, I urge all my supporters no matter where you may be to follow in my footsteps and register as a member of APC,” he said.

Mr. Abubakar had earlier paid a courtesy call on Emir of Ganye, Umar Sanda, who prayed and wished him well in his enterprise.

11 PDP senators defect to APC

11 PDP senators defect to APC

The rank of the APC in the Senate swelled Wednesday with the defection of 11 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, senators to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The Senators that defected to the All progressives Congress (APC) party in a letter sent to the Senate President are.
1. Senator Bukola Saraki-Kwara Central
2. Senator Umaru Dahiru-Sokoto South
3. Senator Magnus Ngei Abe -Rivers South-East
4. Senator Wilson Asinobi Ake-Rivers West
5. Sen. Bindawa Muhammed Jibrilla-Adamawa North
6. Sen. Mohammed Danjuma Goje-Gombe central
7. Sen. Aisha Jummai Alhassan-Taraba North
8. Sen. Mohammed Ali Ndume-Borno South
9. Senator Mohammed Shaba Lafiaji-Kwara North
10. Sen. Abdulahi Adamu-Nasarawa West
11. Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir-Sokoto East

The senators communicated their decision to decamp to the APC in a letter addressed to the Senate President, David Mark. There are reports that some more senators could decamp in the coming weeks.
The PDP still appears to have the majority in the Senate despite the defections, although official figures are yet to be announced.

The gale of defection had hit the House of Representatives last December when 37 PDP members of the chamber defected to the APC.

Five PDP governors had earlier moved to the opposition party on November 26.
The governors are Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Rabi’u Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara).

Mr. Saraki had told journalists at the weekend that more PDP senators would decamp upon resumption of the upper legislative chamber this week.