Some northern media influencers, including Arewa Twitter, have taken to social media to vehemently oppose the bill proposing regional gove...
Some northern media influencers, including Arewa Twitter,
have taken to social media to vehemently oppose the bill proposing regional
government in Nigeria. By Jake Clifford
Last updated Jun 1, 2024 0 Share Advertisements Northerners reject bill
proposing return of regional system of government in Nigeria, say Tinubu plan
to dismantle North Some northern
media influencers, including Arewa Twitter, have taken to social media to
vehemently oppose the bill proposing regional government in Nigeria.
NewsWeek Nigeria had earlier reported that Part of the draft
bill circulating on social media, seen by our correspondent is titled: “A Bill
for an Act to Substitute the Annexure to Decree 24 of 1999 with a New
Governance Model for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” Advertisements BREAKING: INEC finally
declares Rivers lawmakers seats vacant
A bill proposing a return to regional government in Nigeria is before
the National Assembly and is expected to passed into law before October 1,
2024.
Part of the draft bill circulating on social media, seen by
NewsWeek Nigeria is titled: “A Bill for an Act to Substitute the Annexure to
Decree 24 of 1999 with a New Governance Model for the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.” Advertisements Although the
identities of the sponsors of the bill were yet to be ascertained, the Bill
when passed would be cited as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria New Governance Model for Nigeria Act 2024.
The sponsors of the Bill explained that the current
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended) is not
“autochthonous” as it does not evolve from the deliberations and consensus of
the Nigerian people. According to the
advocates, the constitution amendment would be subject to a “yes or no” vote in
a referendum by the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Advertisements Part of the draft Bill seen
by NewsWeek Nigeria on Friday partly read:
“PART I – Preliminaries: WHEREAS Nigeria, its Peoples and
Government have been governed under Decree 24 of 1999 that was handed down by
the then Military Government without the express consent of the people despite
the preamble of “We the people.”
“WHEREAS the said
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as Amended) is not
autochthonous as it does not evolve from the deliberations and consensus of the
Nigerian People.
“WHEREAS the Peoples
of Nigeria now desire and effectively demand for a change to a Constitution
based on Federal/Regional System of Government.
“WHEREAS the Federal and Regional governments are to operate
within the provisions of this Constitution, it is within the discretion of the
ethnic blocs within the States that constitutes a given region to aggregate or
disaggregate as Provinces, Divisions and Districts, while being in control of
their affairs without let or hindrance at whatever level of governance.
“Whereas the 1999 Constitution as amended is a schedule of a
military decree now deemed to be an Act of the National Assembly for which the
National Assembly have the powers to amend and/or abrogate as expedient. Advertisements “Whereas the National
Assembly where so necessary and expedient can invoke the doctrine of necessity
to resolve any point of law for the good governance of the country
Nigeria.”
On PART 11 – Substitution Clause, the drafters proposed that
the National Assembly shall invoke its inherent powers to expunge the schedule
attached to decree 24 of 1999 often referred to as 1999 Constitution as amended
from the decree, which “is now deemed to be an Act of the National Assembly to
which the National Assembly have the powers to so do and replace same with a
new governance model for Nigeria effective not later than October 1, 2024.”
“This amendment is subject to a yes or no vote in a
Referendum by the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” it proposed.
On governance structure under PART III – Stipulations for
Federal Administration, the sponsors proposed that: “(1) Nigeria shall be a
Federation comprising of Regional Territories and a Federal Capital Territory
and shall be a Republic to be known by the name of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
“(2) The territorial jurisdiction of Nigeria shall comprise
the territory of the Regional members of the Federation and its boundaries
shall be as determined by international agreements “3.2 Basis of the Federation: “(1) Every
Ethnic Nationality and People in Nigeria has an unconditional right to
self-determination within here delineated territories.
“(2) The sovereignty, powers and authority to formulate the
articles of association towards any reform of the Central Federal Government of
Nigeria, at any other time shall lie jointly and severally with all the ethnic
nationalities occupying their respective territories.
“(3) Every Ethnic Nationality and People in Nigeria has the
right to a full measure of self-government which includes the right to
establish institutions of government in the territory that it inhabits and to
equitable representation in the Federal and Regional Governments.
“(4) A “Ethnic Nationality or People” for the purpose of
this Constitution, is a group of people who have or share large measure of a
common culture or similar customs, mutual intelligibility of language, belief
in a common or related identities, a common psychological make-up, and who
inhabit.”
Meanwhile, some notable northern social media influencers
have vowed not to support the proposed bill.
Comrade Abiyo Roni from Jigawa State wrote: “As a Northerner I will
never support Regional Government, for the past 64 years of Independence what
does North gain in terms of Political, economic and educational development, in
every aspect the North where left behind.
Our North region is
the most retrogressive region in the country, so let’s build North before any
regional government.”
Sarki wrote: “Simply put, I’m not against a regional system
of government, but this is not the right time for it because the North is at a
disadvantage. Get rid of insecurity and return our region to us as you found
it, and then we can consider reverting to that system of government.”
Hamma Hayatu, public analyst and political strategist,
wrote: “Tinubu did not promise restructuring Nigeria during the campaigns, but
the Nadeco spirit in him will definitely tow toward that. An unverified kite of
bill about regional government is being flown now.”
Arewa Twitter wrote: “This (Yoruba) government want to
dismantle the North logically. These people know exactly what they are doing.
Our northern leaders, elders, and youth are hungry people. (Those that
supported APC). They collected APC spaghetti and Tinubu’s money, so they can’t
say anything
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