The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has warned that Nigeria could disintegrate and become history if the country is not urgently restructured.
The SMBLF said this at an expanded meeting of the forum in Abuja on Sunday.
According to Edwin Clark, the SMBLF National Leader, President Muhammadu Buhari should immediately address Nigerians on the various challenges facing the country.
He said: “The purpose of this meeting is very clear. Where are we going in Nigeria? Some are asking for secession, others for a breakup, others are running a unitary system of government, etc.
“Time is moving fast and there is the need to state our position very clear to Nigerians.
“Mr. President is not an emperor, he is not a king, he is not a monarch, he is a politician. He should come out and meet some of us who where here before even he was an ordinary soldier. This country belongs to all of us, the north alone or the south alone cannot rule this country.”
Clark insisted that Nigeria needs a new constitution and recommended the adoption of the 1963 constitution which promoted a regional system of government.
He said: “We want a brand new constitution. Any amendment of the constitution, I have no confidence in it. We are here for two things: Nigeria should be restructured. President Buhari once said if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.
“What the National Assembly has been doing is fraudulent. For five years now, they have amended the (1999) Constitution five times; they spend N1 billion every year and nothing comes out of it. As Governor Fayemi said, it is fraudulent.
“Any amendment on the 1999 Constitution, we have no confidence in it. We must restructure Nigeria. If we do not restructure Nigeria, Nigeria will die. Without restructuring, we are going nowhere.”
The elder statesman also explained that the SMBLF is against secession, adding that the non-written agreement of power rotation for the office of President must continue in 2023 in order to preserve the unity of the country.
“I say if we don’t restructure Nigeria will die. Secession is not the answer. Secondly, we want the zoning to continue. It is constitutional…we want the 2023 presidency zoned to the south,” he said.
Some of those present at the meeting include Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere; George Obiozo, President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo; Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, Bitrus Pogu, and Godknows Igali.
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