Aminu Imam
Calls for more comprehensive electoral reform deepened yesterday, as the Renewed Kaduna Restoration Group (RKRG) unveiled a detailed set of 25 recommendations aimed at amendments/alterations to the 1999 Constitution to strengthen Nigeria’s good governance and democracy.
Recall that the National Assembly has begun the process of consulting stakeholders towards reforming the electoral system in the country. Different groups have been submitting their contributions towards the new law, which is being worked on by the National Assembly joint committee on INEC and electoral reforms.
The group’s document, titled: the “Restoration Memorandum“, seeks to address pressing issues of governance, security, and electoral credibility, which will be submitted to Nigeria’s key political leaders, including the President, the National Assembly, and the Kaduna State government.
The RKRG’s initiative comes at a critical time, as the National Assembly embarks on consultations with stakeholders to reform the country’s electoral system. The Group, aligning with the on-going process, is pushing for reforms that ensure good governance, security, and the protection of democratic values, with a primary focus on achieving credible elections where every vote counts.
In a press interview in Abuja yesterday, representatives of the RKRG highlighted some of their core propositions as: Political and Economic Restructuring: The group addressed ongoing debates around the viability of Nigeria’s 36 states, many of which depend heavily on federal allocations. They argued that merging these states into six geo-political zones, as some have suggested, contradicts the Constitutional provisions recognizing the current structure. Instead, they advocated for the creation of new States only through consensus and based on economic viability.
On Creation of States, the Group said, “The present quagmire we are witnessing where over 20 States of the Federation are owing workers’ salaries is an indication of the fiscal unsustainably, the RKRG position is that additional States should be created or carved out only by consensus of citizens of the existing states and viability due to the socio-economic unviability of many existing States; in the event that States are not scrapped in favour of proposal for reverting to regions”.
According to the RKRG, “There can never be creation of more States, and local government areas unless the relevant Constitutional provisions are amended. In addition, merging the thirty six States into 6 geo-political zones/regions as part of the proposed restructuring in some quarters violates Section 3 of the Constitution, which recognises and provides that the Federation shall consists of 36 States, 747 local government areas, and 6 Area Councils for the FCT. Essentially, the argument that most of the 36 States are not economically viable and cannot survive without federal allocation is weak”.
Regarding Security, National Stability and the National Assembly, the RKRG emphasised that “the key responsibility for all appointed and elected political office holders at every tier of Government is the protection of life and property of Nigerian citizens. The current security threat manifested in armed robbery, cattle-rustling and rural banditry, mass kidnapping, violent communal clashes, proliferation of small arms and light weapons arose mainly due to failure of our security architecture to pro-actively investigate and prosecute all offenders involved in these criminal activities.
“Victims of criminality and communal clashes have lost faith in the security agencies to properly investigate and prosecute all those involved in criminal activities, especially violent communal clashes assuming religious and ethnic colorations. The criminal Justice system must be updated by the NASS to reflect modernity.
“RKRG position is that, Nigeria as a nation must undertake a comprehensive review of its entire security system towards making provisions and evolving a more proactive response, intelligence reliant policing and partly non-conventional security system. Previous criminalities involving violent communal and religious clashes must be thoroughly investigated and all actors prosecuted towards serving as a deterrent for future criminality”.
On Referendum on Restructuring, the group expressed its support for a national discussion on restructuring, stressing that it should be conducted in a democratic manner through a referendum. They argued that nation-building and restructuring are possible if there is a clear mobilization of the population and a forward-looking leadership committed to industrialization, environmental protection, and peaceful co-existence.
It said: “In contemporary Nigeria, the concept of restructuring means many things to many citizens, depending on the interest one wants to pursue. Thus, the meaning of restructuring in the present day Nigeria depends largely on the interest of the individual or groups that is describing it.
“RKRG believes in a stronger Democracy for Nigeria where a vision for a United Nigeria shall enshrine within the context of mutual respect, Constitution and other elements of the National Question can be resolved. Added to it is the free will of a forward-looking leadership, whose objective and vision in terms of industrialisation, protection of our environment, unity and peaceful coexistence top its agenda.
“Renewed Kaduna Restoration Group RKRG is of the strong opinion that addressing these key issues above, with a clear mobilisation of the population the question of nation-building, is achievable in a short time, but can only achieved through ‘Doctrine of Necessity by Referendum’ “.
The Group said further stated its candid opinion that any attempt to initiate discussion of restructuring along any of the aforementioned areas, the Constitution of Nigeria should be followed and must be undertaken within the context of liberty and freedom of Nigerians.
In their concluding remarks, the RKRG emphasised that all restructuring efforts must be in line with the Nigerian Constitution, and should promote liberty and freedom for all citizens.
