Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on the federal government to heed the concerns of the youth, which have fueled the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.
Speaking in Abeokuta on Friday while hosting six members of the National Assembly, Mr. Obasanjo emphasized the legitimacy of the youth’s demands, warning of potentially severe consequences if their concerns are not promptly addressed.
The six legislators are co-sponsors of a bill advocating for a single six-year presidential term with a rotation between the North and the South.
“As I have warned earlier, we should recognise that we are all sitting on a powder keg if we fail to begin doing the right thing. For instance, what the youths are demanding is very legitimate and should be listened to. Why should they be denied what rightfully belongs to them?
“You are what you are today because you’re a Nigerian; I’m what I am also because I’m a Nigerian. So why should they be Nigerians and be languishing in poverty?
“They make demands, and we’re not listening to them. Many of them are frustrated, desperate, angry, and unemployed. What do we expect?” Obasanjo queried.
Mr. Obasanjo emphasized that for Nigeria to reach its full potential, collective effort is essential, along with a shift in mindset.
He remarked that the real issue isn’t whether the country should adopt a single six-year term or stick to the current system. “If the mindset of those in governance doesn’t change, Nigeria will remain stagnant,” he added.
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“We have to decarbonise our brain. If you give a person one single term of six years, he will do the same harm he could have done in two terms of four years.
“If you have a system you can trust; you have an INEC you can trust, then it will not matter the number of years,” Mr Obasanjo said.
Earlier, Ikenga Ugochinyere, who led a group of five other lawmakers, advocated for the country to adopt a single six-year presidential term.
Mr. Ugochinyere also suggested that governance should rotate between the North and the South, and that state governments should implement a similar rotation among their three senatorial districts.
He urged a revision of the nation’s laws to accommodate these proposed changes.
The lawmakers accompanying Mr. Ugochinyere on the visit were Abdulmalik Danga (Kogi), Midala Malami (Borno), Matthew Nwogu (Imo), Peter Aniekwe (Anambra), and Kama Nkemkama (Ebonyi).
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