NADECO Advocates Return to 1960 Constitution

By Emma Okonji and Nosa Alekhuogie

The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO),has criticised the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, on its leadership role, insisting the present crop of leaders and the past leaders of the country, have failed the country in serveral ways.

The National Secretary of NADECO, Ayo Opadokun, who criticised the government, said Nigeria had been operating with a constitution that does not represent the wishes of the generality of the people, and that Nigerians will no longer tolerate it. He said conducting any election under the present constitution, would amount to illegality.

Opadokun who spoke yesterday on the Morning Show of ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, said the best way to address Nigeria’s political challenges, was for the country to return to the 1969 Constitution that was put in place after Nigeria gained her independence in 1960 and became a Republic in 1963.

“The current government cannot continue to treat Nigerians shabbily.

Nigerians have suffered enough and our leaders have failed us. Nigeria is a failed country. The size of our country makes us the biggest black nation of the world that is supposed to provide leadership for Africans, but Nigeria has failed in that aspect of providing good leadership.

Today there is so much corruption in the country and President Buhari should not blame past leaders for Nigeria’s corruption, because he saw it and knew there was corruption in the system before he contested in 2015. The best way to address Nigeria’s challenges is to return the country to 1960 Constitution,” Opadokun said.

While reacting to the agitations about where the next president of the country should come from, Opadokun said the attitude of dictators who call themselves leaders, exposes their wrong feelings that elections solve all problems.

“The Nigerian setting will not be an exception and election is not the answer to the crisis we have at hand. If they are still under the false belief that they will hold elections, and hold us to ransom because those of them who will be elected will swear allegiance, then they should know that Nigerians will not sit down and fold their hands any longer. We are saying that we are tired with all of that and time has gone past. We cannot continue with this as the situation is unsustainable. They cannot calm us down any longer the way they have done before. It gives them some sort of false legitimacy and that is not going to happen any longer,” he said.

Sharing his views about the position of things in Nigeria today, Opadokun explained that the growth of the nation had since deteriorated.

According to him, “There was sufficient, critical and enduring development and progress that we were witnessing in all the regions. The military came and held us to ransom from then till now. Until we return to our old ways of life, all these so called selfish agitations who are ambitious to govern Nigerian in one form or the other, will continue to do so, but that does not seem sensible to people like us.

Since 1970, when oil became a major source of our revenue, we were exporting at least two million barrels of oil per day at an average price of $100 dollar per day. Where is that gigantic sum of money? What the military taught us is that it’s possible for them to use force of arms to get what does not belong to them and keep them permanently,” Opadokun said.

Speaking about the call for United Nations (UN) to conduct a referendum in Nigeria and what response has been gotten, Opadokun explained that the response gotten was in accordance with the processes of the UN protocols and their organization.

He said: “ In organising all those processes, I’m aware that the Senate of the United States, the Committee of Foreign Affairs, the Congress itself, are already taking up our matters. There has been zoom conferences more than three times since after our letter was received. Although the process is not as fast as we would want, but they are doing something because anyone who cares for the peace and progress of all places in the world, particularly the United Nations organization, would take their time to achieve results.

You know the consequence of migration and what is happening today in the world. So we believe that it is in the best interest of the world for global body and the African Union to do what is expected of them because that is the purpose for which they are set up to ensure that this is guaranteed. What our people desire is a legal, legitimate right for self determination under United Nations and Human Rights.”