Former Presidential Candidate Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies Lauds Afenifere’s Call for Restructuring Nigeria

In a significant development on this year’s Nigerian Democracy Day, 12th June, 2025, former presidential candidate Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies has thrown her weight behind Afenifere’s call for a fundamental restructuring of Nigeria’s federation. This call comes as the nation celebrates Democracy Day, marking a significant milestone in its journey towards democratic governance.

Afenifere, a prominent Yoruba socio-political group, has been vocal about the need for a new constitution that truly reflects the federal nature of Nigeria. According to the group, the current system disproportionately prioritizes recurrent expenditure over capital development, undermining long-term growth and national development. Prof. Adesanya-Davies’ endorsement of Afenifere’s stance underscores the growing consensus on the need for reform.

Key Points of Afenifere’s Proposal include

• New Constitution: Afenifere advocates for a new constitution before the 2027 General Elections, emphasizing that Nigeria’s diverse composition requires a governance structure promoting autonomy and self-determination.
• Restructuring: The group believes restructuring would address ethnic tensions and foster a genuine sense of belonging among all citizens, citing India’s example of maintaining unity despite over 2,000 ethnic groups.
• True Federalism: Afenifere urges the Federal Government to implement the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference as a foundation for true federalism, arguing that the current “winner-takes-all” system deepens inequality and stifles national development.

Implications of Restructuring Nigeria’s federation could have far-reaching implications, such as:

• Improved Resource Allocation: A more decentralized system could ensure more efficient allocation of resources, prioritizing development projects over recurrent expenditure.
• Enhanced Regional Autonomy: Restructuring might grant regions more autonomy, enabling them to address local challenges and opportunities more effectively.
• National Unity: By promoting a sense of belonging among all citizens, restructuring could help mitigate ethnic tensions and foster national unity.

Prof. Funmilayo Adesanya-Davies’ support for Afenifere’s call for restructuring highlights the pressing need for reform in Nigeria. As the nation navigates its democratic journey, embracing true federalism and a new constitution could be pivotal in unlocking its vast potential and promoting sustainable development.

Adesanya-Davies’ has always proposed an “Advanced Restructuring Agenda,” which focuses on transforming Nigeria’s governance structure. The key points in her proposal include:

• Decentralization: Granting semi-autonomy to federal units, aligning with the 2014 National Conference recommendations.
• Constitutional Reform: Proposing an “8 Constitution” framework to promote true federalism and address Nigeria’s diverse composition.
• Governance Structure: Ensuring the legislative and judiciary arms conform to the Constitution.
• Economic Reforms: Implementing drastic economic reforms, including a proposed sensible exchange rate.
• Job Creation: Providing 2.5 million jobs annually through creative diversification of the economy beyond oil.
• Education and Human Capital: Fostering education and human capital development, with initiatives like free lunch for primary school pupils, scraping of JAMB and paying graduates’ salaries for their first year after NYSC.
• Security and National Ideology: Enhancing security, law, and order, while promoting a national ideology geared towards achieving national goals.
• Electoral Reforms: Facilitating drastic electoral reforms electronically and through other means.
• Women’s Participation: Increasing women’s participation in government to 40%.

These points highlight Prof. Adesanya-Davies’ vision for restructuring Nigeria, emphasizing decentralization, economic reform, job creation, and human capital development.

The news report by Kehinde Olatunji on12 June 2025, narrated that, “Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has renewed its call for the restructuring of Nigeria, urging the Federal Government to implement the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference as a foundation for true federalism.

“The group argued that the current “winner-takes-all” system has deepened inequality and stifled national development. In a statement marking June 12 Democracy Day, Afenifere’s leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, emphasised that Nigeria’s diverse composition—with over 374 ethnic nationalities—requires a governance structure that promotes autonomy and self-determination.

He said restructuring would address ethnic tensions and foster a genuine sense of belonging among all citizens. “The problem lies in how to weave nationhood from our diverse nationalities,” Olaitan noted.

“Every group must feel legitimately represented in the country’s political and economic arrangements.”
Afenifere maintained that the over-centralisation of power in the presidency and the country’s dependence on crude oil revenue are unsustainable.

The group called for the devolution of powers and the creation of a system that supports equitable resource control and infrastructural development across regions.

The group also raised concerns about the country’s growing debt burden, which stands at nearly N150 trillion, with recent reports indicating further borrowing requests amounting to $21.5 billion, €2.1 billion, and ¥15 billion.

Afenifere stressed that the current system disproportionately prioritises recurrent expenditure over capital development—an imbalance that undermines long-term growth.

Highlighting the enduring significance of June 12 and the struggle for democratic ideals, Afenifere called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the political class to commit to a fundamental restructuring of the federation.

According to the group, Nigeria can and should adopt a new constitution before the 2027 General Elections. “India has over 2,000 ethnic groups, yet it has remained united since 1947,” Afenifere stated. “Nigeria must stop seeing its diversity as an albatross and instead embrace it through a restructured, truly federal constitution.”

The group concluded by urging Nigerians to unite in pressuring the political leadership to implement genuine reforms. “We must reinvent a federal Nigeria based on mutually agreed principles. That is the true spirit of June 12,” the group said.

L