Interview

We should restore 1963 Constitution to make progress —Ighile, ex-UPN secretary

A secretary of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the Second Republic in Oredo Central Constituency in old Bendel State and president, Nigerian Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Boston, the United States, Alhaji Mohammed Ighile spoke with HENDRIX OLIOMOGBE on the buildup to the 2023 elections, money politics, among other issues.

What do you have to on the 2023 elections that are just months away?

The coming presidential election in Nigeria may likely end with a breakdown of the legal order. So, progressives need a united plan to rescue the country. An executive presidency is not part of the solution but part of the problem. Therefore, the only alternative to dictatorship is parliamentary democracy.

But, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and the other parties have all conducted their primaries and the stage is set for the election.

Nobody can deny the serial failure of PDP and APC to govern Nigeria for the benefit of its inhabitants. Since the return to ‘arrangee demo-crazy’ in 1999, the executive presidency has mismanaged public affairs while converting national wealth into political rent. It will be madness to continue choosing between two flavours of incompetence, just as for a diabetic to switch between drinking two brands of soft drink. Executive presidency is a political junk food. If the 2023 election ends in stalemate, the blame belongs to parties whose nominations were bought with funds of unknown origin by dubious recycled characters above retirement age.

You are known to be an ardent supporter of LP presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi. What about him and how do you weigh his chances?

The miscalculations of the opulent rich candidates of the other parties have handed the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi two big advantages- “religion card” and “youth card.” But, I am afraid that no third party can beat the unlimited casino money of the big machines.

How would you assess the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)?

The INEC may also lack logistical and technical capacity to conduct a timely second ballot, especially if voter participation is high, and third party victory may never be “allowed” by the ruling class. I therefore call on progressive forces to prepare for a possible impending collapse of the presidential contraption. It will be futile to wait for a predictable disaster before running into the street with placards to be shot and beaten by uniformed and party thugs. Our task now is to unite around a common platform to advance the struggle for democracy and national liberation. The twin coups of 1966 abolished our legitimate constitution, which was written after the regional elections of 1956-57 that Chief Obafemi Awolowo called “free and fair” and was approved by the elected Parliament on 1st October 1963 before its abrogation at gunpoint.

Against the backdrop of the different separatist movements in certain parts of the country, agitating for a breakup, what do you think is the way forward?

Today, separatists speaking with different ethnic accents are loudest to denounce the army constitutions of 1979 and 1999, but those who remember the Nigerian civil war know that separatism can’t solve social and economic problems. The 1963 Constitution conveys three strong benefits: one, federalism based on “four regions, that is to say the Northern Nigeria, Eastern Nigeria, Western Nigeria and Mid-Western Nigeria”. Of these, only the Mid-West was voted by plebiscite but the other three were accepted by Parliament. Realistically, today’s unviable “states” can’t be abolished overnight, but under the 1963 constitution, the 36 governors won’t interact directly with Abuja, only as peers in their respective regions where they can choose a Premier pending regional elections. Two is a non-executive president, chosen by Parliament and limited to command of the armed forces. Let the President focus on ending open warfare across the land- it is more than enough job for one person. Third is a Parliament (House of Representatives and Senate) with exclusive power to make laws above the authority of the Regions. The number of senators may briefly adjust from the original 20 to the present 109, but the number of House of Representative members can remain at 360 because the 1963 Constitution did not specify exact number of constituencies. The Prime Minister, representing the parliamentary majority, chooses the federal cabinet from Parliament. So, restoring the last legitimate constitution of Nigeria will bring back legality to the “nation space” and slim down the waste of bloated central government. We still hope the 2023 election will deliver a peaceful and just political transition. But history warns us to prepare for the alternative by uniting around the legacy of our great nationalist struggle that stalled in 1966.

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