By Engr. (Dr) Ajibola Abiola
May 29, 2025, marks the second anniversary of President Bola Ahrned Tinubu’s administration and the twenty-sixth year of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, which has seen four previous presidents. This date also falls 111 (one hundred and
eleven) years after the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria, 65 years after “independence,” and 26 years since the imposition of the 1999
Constitution. It is therefore an appropriate moment to reflect on why Nigeria continues to struggle with legitimacy, ethnic distrust, instability, and civic alienation.
No doubt, Nigeria was built on a faulty and fraudulent foundation. It’s so-called independence in 1960 was declared under the Nigeria
independence Act, a British statute. Aside from elite negotiations and a few conferences, there was no constituent assembly, no referendum, and no
ratification by the people. The process was top-down imposed by colonial authorities.
If independence signifies the end of foreign domination and the beginning of
self-rule, then what Nigeria experienced in 1960 was merely ceremonial. The judiciary lacked independence, with Nigerian courts remaining subordinate to
the British Privy Council. Economic sovereignty was also absent: critical sectors such as oil, exports, and banking remained under British control. Colonial powers dictated fiscal and monetary policies; Mr. Roy Fenton, a Briton was the Central Bank Governor and the British pound sterling continued as legal tender. Even the head of state was the British monarch, represented by a
Governor-General.
According to the Montevideo Convention, an entity must have a defined territory, a permanent population, a functioning government, and the capacity for independent foreign relations to qualify as a state.
Nigeria, both at “independence” and to this day, falls short on these criteria.
What Nigeria had in 1960 was not a sovereign state, but a ceremonial independence without economic or structural sovereignty.
By contrast, India’s path to statehood offers valuable lessons. In 1946, a Constituent Assembly was convened to frame the Indian constitution. Though
independence was formally achieved through the lndian Independence Act of
1947, the British-imposed constitution was rejected. A homegrown
constitution, shaped by nationwide consultations, was adopted in 1950.
In 1953, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru established the States Reorganisation
Commission, which led to the landmark States Reorganisation Act of 1956. This Act, rooted in public consent, redrew state boundaries along linguistic lines
and helped to balance regional identities with national unity, laying the
groundwork for India’s long-term peace and prosperity.
Nigeria took a different path. In 1966, the military struck and dismantled what:
little federal structure existed. Decree No. 34 abolished regional constitutions and imposed a unitary command structure, overriding democratic institutions
and regional autonomy. This marked the beginning of centralized
authoritarianism masked as federalism.
The illusion of democracy in Nigeria predates independence. It is well
documented that Sir Ahmadu Bello was elite-imposed. The election
brought him to power lacked legitimacy and grassroots consent. Though officially declared Premier of the Northern Region, he was forced to work from home and a perimeter fence constructed to shield him from the public because the masses were embarrassing and stoning him at sight.
Since independence, every election in Nigeria has been plagued by
irregularities and elite manipulation. Elections have become hollow rituals-a cyclical process of voting which wouldn’t count in the end. Power continues to
flow from flawed structures, not from the will of the people.
The military inherited five constitutions in 1966, one for each of the four regions and one for the federation. By 1979, a single military-imposed
constitution replaced them all. That experiment failed. In 1999, the military
once again dictated the framework by gathering a handpicked amenable
group to modify the 1979 constitution, even after annulling the freest election in Nigerian history. They began the 1999 Constitution with “We the
people…a bold deception, as there was neither a referendum nor any form of public consent, perhaps insinuating that they are the owners and people of Nigeria.
Critical features of a true democracy include a defined territory with clear borders, permanent population that identifies citizens over whom political authority shall be exercised, consent of the governed which starts with citizen
being fully involved in drawing up a constitution as the instrument to establish the structures that governs political power, and the free-will choice of political leaders through credible elections. If any of these is missing, democracy becomes hollow, elections become rituals without substance, and leaders derive power from a flawed or imposed structure but not from the people.
Nigeria must transition to a true democracy, built on federalisn, inclusivity,
and the consent of its constituent groups. No part of the country should be held hostage to another’s dominance. We therefore demand a nation founded on agreed terms, a union created by the will of the people.
As we mark the second anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s
administration, we offer our congratulations but also wish to remind him that winning an election is not an end in itself. It is a platform for transformative leadership.
The accurate measure of this presidency will not be how many years are spent in office, but the quality of governance, the structures established, and the legacy left behind.
The only legacy for this government will be enthronement of true democracy starting with allowing Nigerian to collectively decide the terms of their union, the structure of their federation, and the rules that will govern their political and civic life.
The forces keeping the Nigerian masses oppressed and under the yoke of false democracy are ignorance, complicity, hypocrisy and cowardice. But history shows us that national rebirth is possible only with moral courage clarity of purpose, and resilience. We believe President Tinubu has these qualities and more. It is time for him, and for all of us, to rally for restructuring.
inclusivity, and a people-driven constitution.
We must rise above the forces that keep us bound: division, ignorance, and selfish interests-and reclaim Nigeria as a truly federal and democratic nation.
As you mark your second year in office, our demand is simple yet profound: rise as a true statesman, and summon the uncommon wisdom and courage needed to restructure and rescue Nigeria. The world is watching. Let us not
miss this defining moment.
Engr. (Dr) Ajibola Abiola is the
Director Information, Media & Strategy
The Rebirth Group, Nigeria *
