Democracy Day: Fasoranti Calls For Return To 1963 Constitution

The National Leader of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, has called on Nigerian leaders and citizens to revisit the principles of federalism as enshrined in the 1963 Constitution, describing it as the ideal framework for national unity and sustainable development.

In a statement released on Wednesday to commemorate Democracy Day, Fasoranti urged a return to the 1963 Republican Constitution, which he said allows for true federalism and grants Nigeria’s regions a degree of autonomy necessary for effective governance.

“To ensure an enduring framework for unity and progress in the country, federalism enables the constituent parts of the country to exercise some level of autonomy or self-determination as obtained in the First Republic,” Fasoranti said.

He criticised the current system of governance as overly centralised and unsuitable for addressing Nigeria’s complex socio-political realities, arguing that a federal structure would promote balanced development and help reduce regional tensions.

Fasoranti acknowledged the significance of Nigeria’s uninterrupted democratic rule since 1999 but emphasised the need for structural reforms to deepen the country’s democratic process. He praised the efforts of civil society and pro-democracy groups, including Afenifere and the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), for their roles in restoring democracy and establishing the Fourth Republic.

“Without doubt, the sustained and uninterrupted democratic rule since 1999 is a product of the sacrifices and commitment of our heroes and heroines in the civil society groups, and other well-meaning compatriots, who, along with Afenifere, coalesced into the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, to constitute the vanguard of progressive forces that ensured the restoration of democracy and the birth of the Fourth Republic,” he said.

Fasoranti also addressed the country’s ongoing security challenges, stating that despite various efforts, Nigeria remains under siege from violent non-state actors. He proposed the establishment of State Police and Community Policing as urgent solutions to the security crisis.

“We, in Afenifere, share the view of many other patriotic Nigerians that establishing State Police and checking internal collaborators appears to be the panacea for this scourge that tends to make living or travelling in certain parts of the country a nightmare,” he stated.

“I am therefore seizing this opportunity to call on the federal and state governments to establish the State Police and the Community Policing system.”

Fasoranti concluded by urging Nigerians to reflect on the true meaning of June 12 and to rise above divisions in the collective pursuit of a greater national purpose.