ADF Urges President Tinubu To Implement Electoral, Judicial Reforms To Avert Political Anarchy

The Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to implement significant electoral and judicial reforms in the country.

National President of ADF, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, made this demand during a press briefing over the weekend after the inaugural meeting of the newly elected executive of the group in Enugu.

He said, “We wish to call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to embark on serious electoral reforms and reform of the Judicial System in Nigeria. This is the only way to avert the growing political anarchy in the land and restore the confidence of the citizenry in the democratic process in Nigeria.

“Nnamdi Kanu’s continued incarceration constitutes a spite on social justice and an infringement on his fundamental rights to self-expression, especially when viewed against the Federal Government’s attitude of allowing those who had taken up arms against the state to be released, rehabilitated, and even reintegrated into the Nation’s security architecture.”

The group further revealed that all seven Igbo-speaking states in Nigeria are prepared for the reconstitution and renegotiation of the Nigerian federation, advocating for a new constitution to ensure self-determination for various states, segments, and regions.

The ADF said it believes that the chaotic nature of the Nigerian federation is the basis of the perennial terrorism, banditry, and violence that have made life unbearable in Nigeria today.

It stressed that to build an equitable federal structure based on social justice, the reconstitution/renegotiation of the Nigerian federation has become imperative.

“This should be done through the making of a new people’s constitution and not the amendment of the 1999 Constitution as embarked upon by the current and former National Assemblies from 1999 to date.

“We are convinced that only a return to Regional Autonomy and Fiscal Federalism can resolve the problems bedevilling the crisis-ridden Nigerian federation. There should be a return to the 1963 Regional Constitution, which was agreed upon by Nigeria’s founding fathers,” the group said.

The ADF emphasized the necessity for Ndigbo to devise comprehensive master plans for infrastructural development in their region, particularly emphasizing the establishment of a robust rail system connecting major industrial, commercial, and administrative centres in Alaigbo.

They further called for public discussions on the cost and environmental consequences of the proposed 700-kilometer Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project.

The group voiced concerns about coastal highways potentially impeding seaport development in the southeast if bridges are not sufficiently high, emphasizing the need for an environmental impact assessment.

The group declared its plan to initiate a monitoring process to oversee government development initiatives in the Southeast and Delta/Rivers regions.

This initiative seeks to ensure that leaders fulfil their obligations and report back to the region’s residents.