Is Regional Democracy the Way Forward for Nigeria?

Regional Government a Solution for Peace, Unity and Progress in Nigeria.
Written By Adeyinka Grandson.

Nigeria democracy is in crisis. Confined to the poorly ventilated corridors of Aso Rock, this year our stagnant politics turned fetid. Many commentators have leapt to draw parallels between the political crisis of zoning and this year's other calamity - the collapse of security and the economy. Many even argued that this double whammy is the reason we need PDP to limp out of power.

In fact, aside from the corruption and instability in government, we all know that this problem is systemic. This is not just a problem of corruption. It is a problem of power; not just power in a narrow legislative sense, of rights and representatives. It is a problem of control over our lives, of the ability to write our own life story.

We feel powerless in Nigeria for three reasons:

1. Nigeria Presidential Democracy is Unrepresentative.
Our votes do not count, in the sense that we feel that when we vote, the incumbent always rigged and even at that we cannot sway the government one way or another. Just like the billion allocated for the Nigeria @50 party, in spite of Nigerians rejection of the party, the government ignored us all.

2. Nigeria is far too Centralized.
We feel powerless because only a tiny minority have far too much power. In South Africa the ratio of voter to elected officials is 120:1. In Nigeria, it is 10,600:1. Real power in South Africa rests with the local people because of their regional democratic system that recognizes ethnic nationalities that make up the country. Real power however in Nigeria rests with a handful of special advisers in Aso-Rock. This creates two problems: it is neither fair, nor effective.
However well meaning, a small coterie cannot effectively address any more than the immediate crisis of the moment. Power is too concentrated. It is too distant unlike what we had between 1952 to 1966 where each region is different, each need different solutions, and only Regional Government know what those solutions are.

3. The State is too Confusing.
Most people’s day to day interaction with the state is not with a Senator or Councillor. It is with our doctor, NEPA official, traffic attendant, bus driver or Police Officer and these services are often so complex as to be regressive. They exclude some, and infuriate others. We can appoint Senate Committee chairs or regulate budgets, but we will not make people feel powerful unless we also put people in control of accessing the 90 per cent of the state that is not constitutional. To be successful you have to dare to be different. There's no reason why every linguistic region has to be the same in Nigeria.

Nigerians always look to America. Yet, for all we can learn from the failures and successes of their democracy, Africa is a better teacher on democracy in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-lingual country. Countries like Ghana and South Africa for instance had their democracy devolved along Central, Regional, State and Local Governments structure with executive power vested in a Prime Minister or President in which each of their regions also had its own Government and Premier.

The most enduring way of closing the corruption gap and encourage political, social and economic development in Nigeria is to get the people, politicians and civil society groups to demand the agreed parliamentary democracy as established in Nigeria's first constitution - This means not only a permanent reduction in the inefficiency of Nigeria government but also an increase in growth by getting the linguistic regions to develop at their own pace, while contributing to the national objectives.

East, North, Midwest and West

The four regions that should be in existence.

Maybe South-South and Middle Belt