NADECO RECONVENES : DEMANDS RESTRUCTURING

PRESS RELEASE 

N A D E C O
THE CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION OF THE COUNTRY: DESCENT TO MILITARISM
AND THE ROAD TO ANARCHY
The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), a Platform of distinguished Nigerians
committed to securing and PROTECTING Democracy in Nigeria believes it is time once
again to rise and defend democracy in our dear country. We are very troubled by recent
national developments and are forced to issue this warning to all our compatriots that
democracy is once again under threat in our nation!
A. THE EVENTS IN THE SOUTH-EAST AND IN PARTICULAR, ABIA STATE WHICH WAS
INVADED WITH A LARGE CONTINGENT OF THE SOLDIERS AMOUNT TO AN
UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND GRADUAL TAKEOVER OF POWER BY THE MILITARY:
On Sunday 10th of September, 2017, the Nigerian Armed Forces invaded South
East Nigeria, and in particular Abia State with a large contingent of soldiers,
armored tanks and other military paraphernalia. In Abia State, the soldiers
invaded communities, tortured civilian population, over-awed the
constitutionally elected governor and civil institutions of the state, and declared
the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) a terrorist organization, in defiance of
the judgment of the Federal High Court. All of these actions are unconstitutional
and represent an illegal take-over of the functions of the National Assembly, the
Abia State House of Assembly and the legal authorities.
The Army High Command has announced further that the “Operation Python
Dance” will be a regular event and that another similar activity named
“Operation Crocodile Smile” will be carried out in the South South and South
West.
The actions of the Military, we restate are inconsistent with the constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, and may be the beginning, if not checked, of the unwitting or
witting subversion of democracy in Nigeria.
We therefore call for an urgent action by Nigerians to see to it that we put a stop to this
gradual return to military rule. All lovers of democracy in Nigeria need to stand up and
raise their voices against this retrogressive political development in our Country.

B. NADECO has long affirmed that the way to restore justice, equity and fair play to our
polity is to return to True Federalism. It is rather unfortunate that some political
actors are trying to confuse Nigerians regarding the true meaning of Federalism. This
effort to misinform, especially by some political parties, is a dangerous play and
deceitful ploy.
The 1959 and the 1963 Federal and Regional Constitutions of Nigeria described
essentially what True Federalism is. For emphasis may we remind us what True
Federalism means:
 Independent Federating Units come together to form a Federation.
 These Federating Units cede some of their powers and responsibilities to the Central
Government.
 The Federating Units provide the resources to run the services ceded to the Central
Government.
 The Federating Units maintain their autonomy to run their affairs without let or
hindrance, outside those services or responsibilities they have collectively transferred
to a Central Government.
That is True Federalism in short. But the problem with Nigeria, and what is causing all the
agitations and instability, is that we have an inverted federation which the Military
converted Nigeria to.
Here, it is now the Central Government (Federal) that is creating the Federating Units,
they now collect all the resources and decide what to give to the Federating Units, they
take all the powers and cede what they like to the so-called Federating Units. This is the
problem.
All the cry for restructuring is simply to restore Nigeria Federation to a proper
Federation. Why should this offend some people to the extent that they are now using
every method including military incursion to prevent it?
Attention of All is here drawn to the undeniable fact that to date, No, repeat No,
political Leader in/of the so-called North has done as much as the Sardauna; no political
Leader in/of the so-called East has done more than Michael Okpara; and no political
Leader in and of the West (mid-West inclusive) has done as much or more than
Awolowo. If any “political Leader” has, let him or her rise and say so. Why was, why is
that so ? It is indisputably obvious that the structure (True Federalism) they were
operating was a big, indeed the major foundational and contributory factor.

It is clear to us that unless Nigerians fully understand and address what is at stake, those
who benefit from the continued instability of Nigeria will continue to create confusion
and delay Nigeria from achieving its manifest destiny.
Rear Admiral Godwin N. Kanu (Rtd)
Chairman.
September 21, 2017.
Annexure: A detailed analysis of the issues emphasizing the inescapable need to return
Nigeria to True Federalism and finally stop this descent to retrogression, anarchy and
fascism.

ANNEXURE
N A D E C O
THE UNNECESSARY ATTEMPT TO TRY TO CONFUSE
NIGERIANS ABOUT WHAT IS MEANT BY TRUE FEDERALISM
1. The National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, a platform constructed by
distinguished Nigerians, former Nigerian Public Office Holders, Leaders of
Ethnic Nationalities, Civil Society Organisations, Labour Unions, Professional
and Business Leaders, Youth and Women, etc. is disturbed by the current
seeming attempts by partisan political operators and others tending to confuse
the Nigerian public and particularly our young people about the clear and
unambiguous meaning of Federalism which universally represents a system of
government whereby there is a distribution of power particularly between a
central government and the constituent units wherever it is practised as
opposed to centrist/unitary government. Nigerian Independent Constitutional
Arrangement was a Federal System in 1960. Federalism as a term had been
more than sufficiently and critically explained and understood bypeoples of
Nigerians through the strategic advocacy of NADECO, its various affiliate bodies
and activists in various fora since 1994.
2. The word “True” came into our national narratives partly as a result of the
annulment of June 12, 1993 election that was won by Basorun MKO Abiola,
and whereby the sectional politicians in military uniform led by Gen. Ibrahim
Babangida and Gen. Sani Abacha got him MKO arrested for claiming his just
mandate, detained him, humiliated him, and eventually got him killed.
3. Pro-democracy groups, activists, professional groups were convinced that a
clique of the army could not have been able to be so contemptuous of the
collective popular will of majority of Nigerians expressed on June 12, 1993 if the
Nigerian Federal Constitutional arrangement had not been illegitimately
abrogated suspended, truncated by the military. The popular will of the
majority of the Nigerian peoples then insisted on total reversal away from the
1963 Federal Republic Constitution upon which we secured our independence.
The peculiarities of Federal Constitutions in India, Canada and the United
States of America etc. are credible reminders of the peculiarity of the Nigerian
Federal Constitutional order upon which the ethnic nationalities negotiated
Nigeria’s Independence in 1960.
4. No one, no organisation be it political party or otherwise ought now feign
ignorance about the genuine meaning of True Federalism when it was because
of the sheer popularity and currency, the patent propriety of the demand for it
that led some to include this in Manifesto, viz : that Manifesto that “TRUE
FEDERALISM” remains one of the cardinal kernels of the Manifesto.

In some Constitution; it is provided that the Party will:
 Initiate action to amend our constitution with a view to devolving powers,
duties, and responsibilities to states and local governments in order to entrench
true federalism and the federal spirit.
 Restructure government for a leaner, more efficient and adequately
compensated public service.
5. NADECO is not unaware that the present governance and not a few partisan
political operators and others who are beneficiaries of the current lopsided,
warped and skewed national structure have rejected the 2014 National
Conference Report and regarded it as not applying to, talkless of being binding
on them. It should be crystal clear now that it is just following the same
footpath in this seeming misadventure to repeat what had happened, judging
from same steps as advertised only recently.
6. For the avoidance of doubt, the following Nigerian historicity among
others are clear and unambiguous :
I. Nigerian secured its independence after several negotiations on a Federal
Constitutional Arrangement, the last being the 1963 Federal Republican
Constitution; along with the Constitution of the Federating Units.
II. It was the Politicians in Military Uniform that violently overthrew the
democratically elected government of Alhaji Tafawa Balewa on January 15,
1966 and the Counter Coup of July 29, 1966 and thereby illegitimately
imposed the military coup plotters as rulers of our country.
III. It was by Decree 1, of 1966 (Constitution Suspension and Modification
Decree), Decree No.2 (May 24) and Decree No. 5 of 1966 (Constitution
and Modification Decrees) that Federalism was abolished even though
under Decree No.8, part 1 and part 2 of 2 of 1967, there was a deceitful
reaffirmation of Nigeria as a federation because the General Gowon’s side
has gained the upper hand in the military foisted ego combat. That
unfortunately led to three year civil war that consumed about a million
Nigerian lives and led to avoidable inhuman deprivations, pains and
permanent scourge.
IV. Decree No. 28 of 1970 finally abrogated the 1963 Constitution except those
preserved by Decree No. 1 of 1966 by the suspension and abrogation of the
1963 Federal Constitution; and having regard to the Organogram of the
Military Institution, the military immediately appropriated to their Central
Government over 662/3 of all the powers and authorities upon which the
regions had powers to legislate and function and by 1999, they have
appropriated about 80% of all formal regional powers and influences to the
Central Government led by its Commander-in-Chief.
V. The Nigerian Military cloaked its military dictatorship with a kind of
protective provision/immunity decree against future prosecution for their
many acts of treason/insurrection against the Nigerian State. See Section 6
(6) (C) (d) of the so-called1999 Constitution was brought into existence by
Decree No. 24 of 1999.
VI. the military, appropriated to its Central Government, the major revenue
resources of the regions and its succeeding balkanised states which were
not created on any scientific and genuinely negotiated parameters except to
satisfy the various interests of military big shorts and their civilian

collaborators, friends and loyalists. It is incontestable that Nigeria
became a Unitary Government since the Army seized power in 1966
and Nigeria has been living a lie by calling itself a Federal Government
when it had been run unitarily and centrally since 1966.
7. Arising from the above summary as to where the rain started to beat Nigeria,
the following observations are germane, namely, that:
a. The suspension and abrogation of the Federal Constitutional arrangements by
the military and the result of the upper hand gained by a wing of the Nigerian
Army prior, during and after the three years Civil War has further increased the
quantum of imbalance in the untenable political equation in the country till
date. The must significant outcome became, becomes……”The Federal Republic
of Nigeria” Army (Gen Chris Ali) !
b. Part of the result of the undue advantage has resulted into
I. Injustice in socio-economic and political life of Nigeria.
II. Inequity in the allocations and distributions of national commonwealth
at the expense of the majority.
III. As a result of the consequence of the aftermath of abandoning the
Federal Constitutional Arrangement, dysfunctional monopoly of
otherwise nation-building areas such as the Nigerian Security and
Intelligence Agency including the Nigerian Police. These get usually
monopolised by a section of the country at the expense of the majority
except for very few times after much public complaints.
8. It is therefore the negative results of the abrogation of the federal constitutional
order subscribed to by our Founding Fathers and the Ethnic Nationalities that
had created a pronounced but unwritten master/servant relationship
among the ethnic nationalities and that has led to the ethnic agitations in
various names – Resource Control, Self-Determination, National Restructuring
thereby leading to the establishment of groups like, Egbesu, Niger Delta
Volunteer Force, Niger Delta Avengers from the south-south etc., MASSOB,
IPOB etc. from South East, OPC and other Self Determination Groups from
the South West and Middle Belt Youth Movement from the Middle Belt and
the Northern Youth Movement, from the Far North.
9. All the agitations intrinsically are directed at calling for immediate and
compelling need for Nigeria to return to Federal Constitutional
Arrangement upon which it secured its independence. Under the Federal
Constitution, each Region was independent to run its affairs by its constitution
but the four were coordinating at the centre. The Federal Government was not
the boss nor “Father Christmas” to the Regions on resource allocations. FISCAL
FEDERALISM was the Constitutional method for Revenue Allocation.
There were significant and enduring developments and progress in social
services and the provisions of infrastructure in all the regions. There were
healthy competitions to serve their people.
10.There is no doubt therefore that it was the Nigerian Military that had
arrested the then on-going Nigerian growth and development since 1966.
All Constitutional arrangements since then have been initiated and
superintended to conform with their military rulers predilections.
11.The current national agitations, mutual mistrust and incohesion cannot
be tackled whimsically and with partisan posturing as the some who are

favoured by the current sectionally dominated system have been saying
and doing recently. In particular, some maybe self-serving all called for
greater devotion to the Nigerian Youths who have never experienced good
governance except military adventurism in political office amounts to a
misdirected understanding of how we arrived at the current state of the nation.
There are several thousands of their likes who remain on-lookers because of
their place of birth. Let’s all join to level the playing fields for all others.
12.The British Colonial Master used their superior military powers to force into co-
habitation the pre-existing ethnic nationalities who have been in absolute
control of their native land resources and natural endowments for over several
thousand years before the colonialist misadventure into their shore.
13.It is a fact that Kings Dosemo of Lagos, Overami of Benin, Jaja of Opobo, Alafin
of Oyo, Attahiru of Sokoto etc. fought against the imperialists until they were
subdued. And at the advent of their forced departure, the imperialits
manipulated the processes of their succession to produce a determined result
that will permanently keep Nigeria within their spheres of global influence.
Nigerian Ethnic Nationalities have not been given the democratic rights to write
their own home grown constitution. We are not unmindful that there was:
 Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s Conference Report
 Gen. Sani Abacha’s Conference Report
 Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo’s Conference Report
 President Good luck Jonathan Conference Report
14. Even so, :
a. NADECO is therefore advocating that Nigeria should immediately return
to the basic 1963 Federal Republic Constitution treasonably abrogated by
the Nigerian Army to halt further drift which the unsustainable current
National Structure has occasioned.
b. All other variants, and concepts (even as listed in an advertorial) of/on
creation/merger of states, Derivation Principle, Devolution of Powers,
Federating Units, Fiscal Federalism, Form of Government, Independent
Candidacy etc. are already provided for as parts of our Federal
Constitutional arrangement.
15. It also need to be restated for emphasis that the National Assembly even as per
our so-called Constitution can only amend constitution. But what Nigeria need
urgently is a new (ie not amended DECREE) constitutional document whose
working background document will be the 1963 Federal Constitution which
gave Nigeria hope and gradual fulfilment of aspirations before the Nigerian
Army arrested the National growth and development in 1966. A Return to the
1963 Federal Constitution along with genuinely negotiated necessary
amendments to meet contemporary improvements will significantly
reduce the level of Corruption which has become a monumental National
Cankerworm. It will largely restore the sense of belongings, and the elst-
while previous march to the country developing into nation-State
16.Those who are asking Nigeria to take their complaints on National
Restructuring to the National Assembly are making either uneducated or
deliberately-mischievous (to the detriment of fostering the Country’s pursuit of

nation-state and existence) errors of omission and commission assumptions
and conclusions. What they are in fact asking Nigerians to do are:
I. To accord the Treasonable conducts of the Putchists/military coup
d’état/insurrections against the Nigerian State a Legitimacy.
II. Accept the militarily foisted decrees/constitutions that have abrogated our
negotiated federal constitutional arrangement and substituted it with
recurrent falsehood of “WE, the People” decrees.
III. Accept the current unsustainable political administration that has for over
25years now led Nigeria to be spending about 80% of its earning on
recurrent expenditure thereby making very little allowance for capital
expenditure. Nigerian’s Human Development Index and Gross Domestic
Product statistics are among that of the war ravaged countries in the
world even though we were for about 25years the 7th or 8th highest
exporter of crude oil, exporting averagely 2million barrel at averagely
$100 per barrel per day.
IV. Accept the arbitrarily created states and Local Governments (mostly
unviable) which favours particular sections of the country because a
preponderant part of the military and political leadership for most years
were from their parts of the country. And they have equally used their
powers in government to make Land Mass, Number of Local Governments
etc. as part of the parameters for sharing national revenue and basis for
election constituency delimitations.
V. Etc, etc.
17.The place of the Legislature is an important matter to be discussed and resolved
by Nigerians. So the National Assembly cannot be presiding over its own
matters. In any case, NONE of the Law Makers campaigned that they were
going to write a new constitution during their campaigns.
18.The current nation-wide agitations by Ethnic Nationalities for national
restructuring cannot be described in all honesty by any right thinking Nigerian
to be that of defeated politicians as we have earlier on set the record straight to
have started in recent times in 1994. Those who are making such uninformed,
or rather deceitful statements are doing so for pecuniary gains which the
current unsustainable national structure has afforded them, (many of them
had lived, strive to live, on government from cradle to grave), is affording
them now or may afford them in the future. And they just make such
statements now and again for their selfish reasons and ambitions.
19. i. Take Indian Ghandi, Pandit Nehru, the political elite and their Political
Commission were able to work on India’s parliament to grant full autonomy and
independence to the various big ethnic nationalities that were agitating and
allow for mergers of contiguous states thereby producing 29 states and 7 Union
Territories in all. The result has been that India has since become a Union
of Federating States and has become a stable and vibrant nation state.
India today is the biggest democracy and the fastest growing economy in
the Asian hemisphere.
20.Those who imagine that they can still continue to use the force of arms to keep
Nigerian Ethnic Nationalities in cohabitation are ignorant of current global
realities. Self-Determination by indigenous people/Freedom fighters has now

become part of the United Nation Protocol. Article 1 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights States thus
“All peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right
that freely determines their political status and freely pursues their
economic, social and cultural development”. “Article 20 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to
freedom of peaceful assembly and association and no one may be
compelled to belong to an association”.
21.i. The political groups should appreciate that no condition is permanent. It is
not impossible that there can be a reversal of fortune. It is essential that all
avoid tread the negatively partisan path.
ii. The political operators must also appreciate that it is too late to imagine that
any force on earth can stop a momentum (national restructuring-return to
the 1963 Federal Constitution Arrangement) whose time has come from
becoming a reality in spite of the illegal and unconstitutional declaration having
the Nigerian State describing the youth as terrorists.
22. The Nigerian Army should no longer be allowed to misuse public coercive
instrument bought with tax payer’s money to clamp down on democratic and
legitimate demands for self-determination. Clamping down on, repressing and
hounding Campaigners for Justice, equity and fair play for Ethnic
nationalities and groups has been globally outlawed and held as repugnant to
civilised conduct in today’s world. NADECO has paid much for such with its
members and leaders sweat, blood, liberty and supreme sacrifice during our
vigorous campaign for restoration of democracy now being misused by many
of the current political actors. The world is now a global village. Recent
history is replete with the transformation of yesterday’s rebels and
terrorists who have assumed political leadership of nations where they
have been formerly arrested, jailed, humiliated and dehumanised
while fighting for freedom and liberty of their peoples.
23. What we have tried to remind All to this Release is that doing the same thing in
the same way and expecting a different result is an unfortunate misadventure.
It is wasteful and wasted exercise.
24.The recent emergence of Civil Societies, Professional and business bodies,
Governors, clergymen and other groups are welcome development but they all
belong to one ethnic nationality or the other; they don’t genuinely represent the
building blocks with which the Founding Fathers negotiated various treaties to
couple Nigeria together.
25.Furthermore, we recommend to All Concerned to face the reality that
majority of Nigerians from more than four out of the six political zones of
Nigeria can no more accept the current sectionally foisted and
configured unity by the past sectional military dictators that has kept
other sections of Nigeria in servitude for too long. The 1963 Federal
Republic Constitution as may be amended which was negotiated by our

founding fathers nationalists and leadership of the ethnic Nationalities
must be the basic document for any genuine reconciliation agenda start
up.
26.NADECO will like to enjoin all political actors and operators to have the
humility and serenity to realise the need for a quick rethink about the political
instability of the state of the Country and the fragility of our country’s bond.
27. Let us sound it clear once again “Self-Determination
is the anthem of this millennium”. National
Restructuring and Return to Federalism are necessities
whose time have come. Whatever wrong (or is it,
disturbing!) that we see today, would and will be Child’s
Play if we do not face the necessities whose time have
come.
Rear Admiral Godwin N. Kanu (Rtd)
Chairman