Election Petitions Wasted Tinubu’s First Seven Months — PDP Spokesman

The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Debo Ologunagba, has advocated for a significant amendment to Nigeria’s constitution regarding the inauguration of newly-elected presidents.

In an interview with Punch on Wednesday, Ologunagba suggested that a president-elect should not be officially sworn into office until after the court has conclusively resolved all election-related petitions.

This proposal comes in the wake of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which, according to Ologunagba, faced substantial distractions during its first seven months due to ongoing election petition hearings.

He believes that these distractions significantly impeded the government’s ability to focus on governance, contributing to the current economic turmoil experienced across the nation.

Ologunagba pointed to the myriad challenges confronting Nigeria, including a spike in kidnappings for ransom, increased activities by non-state actors, and the rising cost of food, as urgent issues requiring the government’s full attention.

He argued that the proposed constitutional amendment would provide a newly-elected president with a clearer mandate and the undivided capacity to address such pressing national concerns from the onset of their term.

Commenting on the state of the nation, the PDP spokesman said, “I understand the National Assembly is discussing constitutional reforms, and as a party, we are organising ourselves. One of the issues we will seek to amend is the electoral law. We will advocate that elected officials be sworn in only after the conclusion of all legal battles.

“There is hardship and insecurity because the government was not active. During the first seven months of this administration, we were in court, so the government did not function; it was preoccupied with protecting itself. Consequently, in a four-year tenure, we lost nine months to litigation.

“Additionally, we need to address true federalism. Why should local governments be enshrined in the constitution? This fosters incompetence, favoritism, and complacency. For example, Kano State has 44 local governments, Lagos State has 20, and Katsina has 34. These disparities contribute to the injustices in our country, necessitating restructuring.

“Now is the opportune moment to restructure the country. Restructuring has always been the stance of the PDP. We discussed restructuring when we were in power but didn’t take concrete steps to implement it. If initiated now, it could help alleviate some of the current national challenges.”

He said restructuring should no longer be mere rhetoric but instead be taken seriously.

Ologunagba said, “Even our presidential candidate had a document on restructuring. Since the 2014 Conference under former President Goodluck Jonathan, we’ve been advocating restructuring. However, the same individuals in the All Progressives Congress opposed it.

“We initiated it because our country is diverse — linguistically, religiously, and ethnically. The only way to progress and tackle these challenges is through restructuring. It will instill a sense of ownership and belonging across all sectors.”