As Nigeria marked the 32nd anniversary of the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election—widely regarded as the freest and fairest in the nation's history—prominent voices from civil society, traditional leadership, and political advocacy renewed calls for the country to embrace true federalism as the only viable path to national integration, peace, and sustainable development.
Speaking at the 25th edition of the annual June 12 Commemoration organized by the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), held under the theme "June 12 as a Catalyst for National Development: True Federalism and Nigeria’s Integration", leading figures including human rights lawyer Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, President of Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, and the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization Afenifere, made a resounding appeal to the federal government to urgently restructure the Nigerian federation to avert worsening instability.
Gani Adams: “Nigeria Must Be Restructured to Honour June 12”
In his welcome address, OPC leader and Yoruba Generalissimo, Iba Gani Adams, decried the failure of successive governments to heed the demand for structural reforms despite persistent agitations. He described Nigeria’s current political framework as unsustainable and antithetical to progress, arguing that without restructuring, the sacrifices made during the June 12 struggle would have been in vain.
“We are here today not just to honour the memory of Chief MKO Abiola and other heroes of democracy, but to remind those in the corridors of power that Nigeria cannot move forward without fundamental change. The resistance must continue until justice is done,” Adams said.
According to him, the country’s multiple crises—ranging from insecurity to economic collapse—stem from the refusal of leaders to embrace restructuring.
“In honour of Abiola and other martyrs, I want to say that whether anybody likes it or not, this country will be restructured. The earlier this is done, the better for all of us, because there is no way we can guarantee peace and security if this country remains as it is,” Adams added.
Joe Okei-Odumakin: “Recognize Abiola as President, Give Nigeria a People's Constitution”
Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, a foremost pro-democracy activist and widow of the late Yinka Odumakin, also used the occasion to reiterate her call for the official recognition of Chief MKO Abiola as a past President of Nigeria. She urged the government to honour his memory with appropriate state symbols and emblems, including his portrait in public offices.
“The sacrifices of Abiola and many others should not be consigned to mere rhetoric. We demand concrete actions, including naming national monuments after him and, most importantly, restructuring this country in a way that reflects the will of the people,” she said.
Okei-Odumakin also lamented the state of insecurity in the country, linking it to the flawed structure of governance.
“Insecurity has become a national embarrassment. We believe that if Nigeria were restructured and if the constitution were truly people-driven, many of the current challenges would be significantly reduced. We need a new constitution that reflects the aspirations of all Nigerians,” she stressed.
Femi Falana: “Nigeria’s Constitution Is a Fundamental Obstacle”
Renowned constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, was represented at the event by journalist and rights advocate Dr. Wale Adeoye. Falana noted that Nigeria’s journey since the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election has been marred by a pseudo-democracy anchored on a military-imposed constitution that does not reflect the collective will of Nigerians.
“The 1999 Constitution is a product of military fiat and not a true representation of the people’s will. It is one of the main reasons Nigeria has not been able to make meaningful progress,” Falana said.
He called for an immediate national dialogue to give birth to a truly federal constitution that guarantees equity, justice, and autonomy for all federating units.
“A new constitution that reflects the principles of federalism is not only necessary—it is urgent. Without it, Nigeria will continue to wobble from one crisis to another,” he stated.
Afenifere: “Nigeria Has Yet to Recover from the Ghosts of June 12”
In a related statement marking the anniversary, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization Afenifere lamented that Nigeria is yet to exorcise the ghosts of the June 12 annulment, which it described as a foundational injustice with lasting consequences.
The group’s leader, Oba Ladipo Olaitan, in a strongly worded message, said the failure to restructure Nigeria has kept the country in a cycle of political instability and national disunity.
“Chief MKO Abiola and his pan-Nigerian mandate were killed by the self-serving political wing of the military and their collaborators. Nigeria fundamentally retrogressed because we ignored the lessons of June 12,” Olaitan said.
According to him, until Nigeria undergoes “a holistic reconfiguration” of its political system, the injustices of the past will continue to haunt the present.
“A new Nigeria is possible, but only through restructuring. We must move away from the winner-takes-all, buy-and-sell model of capturing power. The 4th Republic, founded on the blood and sacrifice of June 12 heroes, must now prioritize the rebirth of Nigeria through true federalism,” he added.
He also urged well-meaning Nigerians to rally together and pressure the Tinubu administration to initiate the process of national restructuring before the 2027 general elections.
A Resounding Call for Action
The June 12 anniversary, now officially recognized as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, has increasingly become a rallying point for calls to restructure the country into a truly federal entity where power is decentralized, resources are better managed, and each region has the autonomy to chart its own development path.
Across the board, the message was unified: Nigeria’s greatness lies in going back to the ideals of equity, fairness, and decentralization upon which June 12 stood. With continued economic hardship, rising insecurity, and deepening mistrust among ethnic nationalities, advocates of federalism believe the time for action is now.
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