The Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), yesterday, urged President Bola Tinubu to implement the recommendations of the 2014 national conference report, while also encouraging him to take urgent steps to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The leaders made the request in a communique issued yesterday night, at the end of the forums meeting in Abuja.
Chaired by Edwin Clark, the forum is made up of leaders from the middle-belt zone, as well as groups including the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere, and the Pan Niger-Delta Forum, (PANDEF).
Recall that the 2014 National Conference was organised by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The forum said the president should take an urgent look at the confab report as well as the report of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) on true federalism, adding that the nations future and democracy will remain bleak without the enthronement of true federation.
The communique read in part: The Federal Government should, as a matter of urgency and priority, work towards the restructuring of the country and enthrone true federalism as was originally entrenched in the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions.
That, without restructuring, the future of Nigeria and democracy remain bleak and must, therefore, be carried out immediately.
The forum said they will set up a strategic committee on restructuring to interface with the Federal Government, National Assembly, and all other stakeholders.
SMBLF also expressed reservations over the composition of Tinubus cabinet, raising concerns about the alleged marginalisation of some sections of the country. It urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to release Nnamdi Kanu, saying his freedom will promote peace and security in the South-East.
The group further asked the Government to address the depreciation of the naira and declining standards of living of Nigerians.
The forum also said it extensively discussed the judgment of the Supreme Court on the 2023 presidential election, and would issue a substantial position soon.
