₦airaland Forum

Convene Meeting to Revisit Nigeria’s Amalgamation Document - Obidigbo Urges Tinubu

An Elder Statesman, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, has asked President Bola Tinubu to initiate an Ethnic Nationalities meeting to revisit Nigeria’s amalgamation document, which he said expired in 2014.

Obidigbo, in his New Year message titled ‘Criticality of Urgent Ethnic Nationalities’ Conference and National Referendum’, noted that the British colonial merchants did not seek the consent of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities before merging the component units into one country.

He said it has become very imperative for all the ethnic nationalities to come together and organise a referendum and resolve the way forward.


“To make the best of 2025, therefore, President Bola Tinubu should convoke a meeting of ethnic nationalities to revisit Nigeria’s amalgamation document, which expired in 2014.

“Let us stop deceiving ourselves. We all know that Britain, the colonial merchants of fortune, did not seek the consent of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities before merging the component units into one country.

“However, in the wisdom of the British adventurers, a proviso was made for possible review after one hundred years of experimentation. From 1914 to 2014, Nigerians have seen that the forced amalgamation has not worked out, and may never work.


“The country has tried a parliamentary system of government, there have been many military regimes and staggered presidential democracy.

“But, amid these efforts at evolving an equitable and acceptable system of self-governance, Nigeria has continued to totter in political instability. It has become very evident that the country can no longer be sustainable as one administrative unit, unless and until we sit down to discuss the way forward.

“There have been calls for separation from the major component ethnic nationalities, including the Hausa (for Arewa Republic), Igbo (for Biafra) and Yoruba (for Oduduwa Republic or Yoruba nation) among many others.

“In the light of the foregoing, it has become very imperative for all the ethnic nationalities to come together and organise a referendum and resolve on the way forward.


“This is about the best way to stop further restiveness and the disgraceful slaughter of our youths in various parts of the country, especially in the far North, Middle Belt, East and West,” he said.

The Elder Statesman suggested that the plan for a referendum should replace the ongoing efforts by the National Assembly to further review the 1999 Constitution.

He maintained that previous constitutional reviews and Electoral Acts have failed to cure the inbuilt lopsided political structure and systemic mischief that Britain welded into the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorates and Lagos colony to create Nigeria.

“Interestingly, Year 2025 is of very great interest to Nigeria, because the year would mark the second anniversary of the 2023 dubious general elections. “That being the case, to make peace, unity and sustainable development possible, the country must resolve through a referendum, to conduct its politics with truth, fairness and equity in mind.

“The current Nigerian leader, President Tinubu, should not shirk the responsibility of revisiting the political structure of Nigeria in the erroneous belief that he can do what other leaders before him could not do. It has become very obvious to all well-meaning Nigerians that the country is unworkable with its current historical, cultural and uneven political backgrounds,” he noted.

Obidigbo also said that Nigerians need to come together to interrogate the lopsidedness that gifted the Southwest with another Presidency after 16 cumulative years as President and Vice President.

He said when the 19 Northern Governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) resolved that 2023 was the turn of the South to produce the President, they stopped short of declaring that the position should rightly go to the South East, based on their partisan and selfish designs.

The Elder Statesman further noted that within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the same lack of contrition and statesmanship led some PDP governors to declare the presidential ticket open even with the historic sacrifice and support by the South East for the party in all of the 24 years of eight election cycles.

“Nothing could be this unfair to a people that work harder than any other tribe for the unity of the country. That former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State governor, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, jostled for the ticket in a free-for-all, exposed their lack of respect for fairness and knowledge of history.

“That is so because in 1999, PDP was the ultimate beneficiary of the power distribution arrangement that gifted the South West the presidential slot leading to the fielding of all Presidential candidates on all the registered political parties from the zone.

“Recently, Alhaji Abubakar announced that 2027 would be the turn of the North to throw up the President. I felt that was a very unkind and unstatesmanlike statement for the former Vice President to make. Alhaji Atiku threw away a golden opportunity to write his name in gold in Nigeria’s political history in 2023.

“If only the Waziri of Adamawa had reflected and recognised the contributions of late Dr Alex Ekwueme and South East to the growth and development of PDP, especially the massive support given to the Obasanjo/Atiku Presidential ambition and Presidency, he should have been at the forefront in canvassing for South East to pick the party’s presidential ticket in 2023, more so when his running mate in the 2019 poll was from South East,” he noted.

He said the South East, unfortunately, lacks political leadership. Obidigbo regretted that most of the so-called political leaders are always on their own, bereft of popular followership.

The people will rather take directives from Simon Ekpa, in faraway Finland, to sit at home every Monday, rather than listen to their governors or political office holders.

“This ugly situation may likely continue that way until Igbo politicians learn to eschew their deep selfishness and play for the collective interest. The hurry to align with outside elements to undermine group interest and shadow-boxing among themselves should be avoided before people would take them seriously.

“The recent jostling over the membership of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) shows that the present crop of political representatives are just there to fend for their personal intentions and aggrandisement.

“It is indeed disheartening that, months after President Bola Tinubu signed the SEDC bill into law and constituted the members, petty political interests have combined to delay the screening of committee members and eventual take-off of that important interventionist agency,” Obidigbo added.


The statement reads in full

Criticality of Urgent Ethnic Nationalities’ Conference and National Referendum

Being New Year Message From Dr. Chike Obidigbo JP, (Osisioma Igbo)

1. Let me start this message by first commiserating with families, relatives and friends of all those who lost their lives during the stampedes that occurred in different parts of the country over the distribution of food items, meant to mitigate the adverse hunger in the land at the Christmas period.
2. All the same, we thank God for seeing us through the outgoing year 2024 and pray that His mercy, love and guidance will lead us into and through the year 2025.
3. Without doubt, 2024 was a very crucial year in the history of this country, because it showed how resilient Nigerians could be, especially under another year of a Federal Government that emerged from a very tortuous and frosty general election.
4. For the Igbo nation, 2024 had been a very trying year. Apart from the continued and unjust incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the climate of insecurity was sustained, even as political marginalization and blatant cheating that defined the preceding eight years of General Muhammadu Buhari persists as the lot of NdIgbo in Nigeria.
5. As we march with stalwart faith into year 2025, I am inclined to state that the year holds great implications for Nigeria, particularly for the Igbo nation. These implications range from social relations, politics, business, security and the progress of the younger generation.
6. To make the best of 2025 therefore, President Bola Tinubu should convoke a meeting of ethnic nationalities to revisit Nigeria’s amalgamation document, which expired in 2014. Let us stop deceiving ourselves. We all know that Britain, the colonial merchants of fortune, did not seek the consent of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities before merging the component units into one country.
7. However, in the wisdom of the British adventurers, a proviso was made for possible review after one hundred years of the experimentation. From 1914 to 2014, Nigerians have seen that the forced amalgamation has not worked out, and may never work. The country has tried parliamentary system of government, there has been many military regimes and staggered presidential democracy.
8. But, amid these efforts at evolving an equitable and acceptable system of self governance, Nigeria has continued to totter in political instability. It has become very evident that the country can no longer be sustainable as one administrative unit, unless and until we sit down to discuss the way forward. There has been calls for separation from the major component ethnic nationalities, including the Hausa (for Arewa Republic), Igbo (for Biafra) and Yoruba (for Oduduwa Republic or Yoruba nation) among many others.
9. In the light of the foregoing, it has become very imperative for all the ethnic nationalities to come together and organise a referendum and resolve on the way forward. This is about the best way to stop further restiveness and the disgraceful slaughter of our youths in various parts of the country, especially in the far North, Middle Belt, East and West.
10. The plan for a referendum should replace the ongoing efforts by the National Assembly to further review the 1999 Constitution. Previous constitutional reviews and Electoral Acts have failed to cure the inbuilt lopsided political structure and systemic mischief that Britain welded into the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorates and Lagos colony to create a "mere geographical expression" called Nigeria.
11. Interestingly, Year 2025 is of very great interest to Nigeria, because the year would mark the second anniversary of the 2023 dubious general elections. That being the case, to make peace, unity and sustainable development possible, the country must resolve through a referendum, to conduct its politics with truth, fairness and equity in mind.
12. The current Nigerian leader, President Tinubu, should not shirk the responsibility of revisiting the political structure of Nigeria in the erroneous belief that he can do what other leaders before him could not do. It has become very obvious to all well meaning Nigerians that the country is unworkable with its current historical, cultural and uneven political backgrounds.
13. Nigerians need to come together to interrogate the lopsidedness that gifted the Southwest with another Presidency after 16 cumulative years as President and Vice President. When the 19 Northern Governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) resolved that 2023 was the turn of the South to produce the President, they stopped short of declaring that the position should rightly go to the South East, based on their partisan and selfish designs.
14. Within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the same lack of contrition and statesmanship led some PDP governors to declare the presidential ticket open even with the historic sacrifice and support by the South East for the party in all of the 24 years of Eight election cycles. Nothing could be this unfair to a people that work harder than any other tribe for the unity of the country.
15. That former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State governor, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, jostled for the ticket in a free for all, exposed their lack of respect for fairness and knowledge of history. That is so because in 1999, PDP was the ultimate beneficiary of the power distribution arrangement that gifted the South West the presidential slot leading to the fielding of all Presidential candidates on all the registered political parties from the zone.
16. Recently, Alhaji Abubakar announced that 2027 would be the turn of the North to throw up the President. I felt that was a very unkind and unstatesmanlike statement for the former Vice President to make. Alhaji Atiku threw away a golden opportunity to write his name in gold in Nigeria’s political history in 2023. If only the Waziri of Adamawa had reflected and recognized the contributions of late Dr. Alex Ekwueme and South East to the growth and development of PDP, especially the massive support given to the Obasanjo/Atiku Presidential ambition and Presidency, he should have been at the forefront in canvassing for South East to pick the party’s presidential ticket in 2023, more so when his running mate in the 2019 poll was from South East.
17. That Atiku decided to lower his political clout by contesting against Nyesom Wike did much harm to his politics and sold him cheaply as Wike’s equivalent than the legendary detribalized and urbane politician he packaged himself to be for several years.
18. In the coming years, if we will still move ahead together, politicians should be compelled to devote their schemes to finding pathways to fair distribution of political opportunities, including the much needed call for the old brigade to excuse themselves from the field and yield space to the younger ones. Everything under the sun, including politics and politicians, have expiry dates.
19. The South East, unfortunately lacks political leadership. Most of our so-called political leaders are always on their own, bereft of popular followership. The people will rather take directives from Simon Ekpa, in faraway Finland, to sit at home every Monday, rather than listen to their governors or political office holders. This ugly situation may likely continue that way until Igbo politicians learn to eschew their deep selfishness and play for the collective interest. The hurry to align with outside elements to undermine group interest and shadow-boxing among themselves should be avoided before the people would take them seriously.
20. The recent jostling over the membership of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) shows that the present crops of political representatives are just there to fend for their personal intentions and aggrandizement. It is indeed disheartening that, months after President Bola Tinubu signed the SEDC bill into law and constituted the members, petty political interests have combined to delay the screening of committee members and eventual take-off of that important interventionist agency.
21. With the antics of some political actors it would not be surprising, but very disappointing if the SEDC ends up in the same mould as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by being "huge in funding, but scant in project delivery".
22. The widespread insecurity in the country, ( which is now seriously ravaging the South East state of Anambra), defined by kidnapping, banditry and violence has become a ready evidence of failure of governance. It is worrisome that apart from occasional mention, the Federal and State governments, notably Anambra, have not done much to confront the monster. All these combine to make the envisaged conference of ethnic nationalities and referendum not only very imperative, but very urgent
23. As we get into the new year, let us, as citizens, learn to demonstrate fear of God and love of neighbour, by taking decisions and actions that will instantly halt the cold blooded massacre of our youths, both in uniform and in mufti.
24. The best way to hail Nigeria and ensure that it becomes a land where no one is oppressed is through love and affection, which can only come through a mutually beneficial agreement to live together peacefully, as one people. This is the Referendum that I sincerely propose.
25. Happy New Year to us all.

Source : https://tribuneonlineng.com/convene-meeting-to-revisit-nigerias-amalgamation-document-obidigbo-urges-tinubu/amp/

The conference of the ethnic nationalities is not needed.

Let those who are interested in secession go and do it alone without dragging others with them.

We are not interested in any referendum about Nigeria

Obidigbo is a great man

When he leaves power, he will start crying and talking like Sunday igbohoh

Just another IPOB retard.

Why is Nigeria so afraid to let the Biafrans go their way?

All these Obidients and yeastern people always looking for excuse

Germans, Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese, French, English, Swedes, Norwegians.... all have a country of their own.

Only in Africa you find different ethnic Nationalities forcefully coexisting together.

Dittodat:
Just another IPOB retard.

You don't have to be abusive, oga.

Dittodat:
Just another IPOB retard.

He is Ipob and he is a retard. Why not let these Ipod retard go their separate way to form a retarded country of their own?
Says alot

The problem I have with this ethnic nationalities thing is simple...

First, what is an ethnic nationality? The one where some people are saying that they are not from the major tribes, while some are saying that they are an independent tribe, only to get called traitors.....

Second, how do we define ethnic nationality...part 2. Are we going to go by states or by LGA?

Third, let us even get the voting process? How are we going to choose representatives.? Is it by voting or by organised consensus?

Fourth...what exactly is the agenda? Are we going to divide the country...and if so, how do we divide the country? Remember that Biafra was, by some definition, an amalglam. There was no igbo nation united under a central leadership before colonial rule. And many tribes around Igboland were not Igbo...and had nothing to do with them...let's even not forget the Hausas were divided into squabbling emirates and the Yoruba empire did not cover the whole SOuth west...and so forth.

Fifth,one annoying thing about all these calls for nationality confrence, at the end, most of the people who support this thing are not ready to do the hard work of democracy. They somehow expect that a nationality confrence would magically fix all problems. Does not work that way.

There is nothing wrong with amalgamation, but there is a lot wrong with our attitude to governance in this country. And a nationalites confrence is not going to change that.

It is just a harmless disscussion, why are people scared of discussing about their unity? i still don't understand.

At the mention of separation, one useless and loquacious tribe begin to panic.

Good bless Pa Obidigbo
End Nigeria to save lives

This is something Nigerian politicians hate to talk about because they are plundering the resources of this dysfunctional country.

Mba ..noo. dot in a circle

Abeg shut your mouth, yeye human eater.



.

SE elders talking like babies.
You want Tinubu to revisit the amalgamation but you are calling the election that brought him in fraudulent. The only thing I deduce from this is that this Igbo elder stateman is saying with the present arrangements it will be hard for an Igbo man to become president of Nigeria but that's nobody's fault. The Igbo man should retrace his steps, if Fulani, Yoruba, Ijaw, Kanuro..... Can become president nothing is stopping an Igbo man from becoming president except the Igbo man is the one holding himself.

19. The South East, unfortunately lacks political leadership. Most of our so-called political leaders are always on their own, bereft of popular followership. The people will rather take directives from Simon Ekpa, in faraway Finland, to sit at home every Monday, rather than listen to their governors or political office holders. This ugly situation may likely continue that way until Igbo politicians learn to eschew their deep self

Eyah..

They lack many things, not just political leadership..

Tinubu is cummin to revisit o. He’s cummin..

It's too late

https://www.aei.org/op-eds/biafra-declares-independence-a-renewed-quest-for-freedom

See his useless head.

Yoruba greatest fear

OChimex:
He is Ipob and he is a retard. Why not let these Ipod retard go their separate way to form a retarded country of their own?
Says alot

Talk to your Zoo representatives to let Biafra go. It is obvious that you are born to suffer and suffer you shall continue to suffer until you die

Obidigbo thank you for your Message.

But don't worry, just tell your Representative in NASS to do the needful if truly una serious about the matter.

But, Sha we don already dey arrange how everybody go begin bear him papa name, na make una people begin plan properly and if una dey rush just tell una members for NASS make dem Speak up.

Raise this at National Assembly there is no need to convey any meeting again.

104 Senetor
360 Representative, making
464 persons that can raise any petition at anytime

Each state has a Governor an Attoney and a Speaker making another 108 respected voices at epithet FEC or Supreme Court.

If you can lobby them well, the Majority would get their way to your favor while minority would get their say against your favor

Nigeria is as confused as Lord Lugard when it comes to amalgamation.

I know Tinubu will restructure Nigeria completely before leaving office 2031.

Someone ones said the moment Obi lose the election you will start hearing biafra,biafra ! If I’m the president, this ipob retard will be arrested by Dss immediately !

Salewa97:
The conference of the ethnic nationalities is not needed.

Let those who are interested in secession go and do it alone without dragging others with them.

We are not interested in any referendum about Nigeria

You're always drooling like a rabid dog on every thread. Don't you have anything to do with your life?

nairalanda1:
The problem I have with this ethnic nationalities thing is simple...

First, what is an ethnic nationality? The one where some people are saying that they are not from the major tribes, while some are saying that they are an independent tribe, only to get called traitors.....

Second, how do we define ethnic nationality...part 2. Are we going to go by states or by LGA?

Third, let us even get the voting process? How are we going to choose representatives.? Is it by voting or by organised consensus?

Fourth...what exactly is the agenda? Are we going to divide the country...and if so, how do we divide the country? Remember that Biafra was, by some definition, an amalglam. There was no igbo nation united under a central leadership before colonial rule. And many tribes around Igboland were not Igbo...and had nothing to do with them...let's even not forget the Hausas were divided into squabbling emirates and the Yoruba empire did not cover the whole SOuth west...and so forth.

Fifth,one annoying thing about all these calls for nationality confrence, at the end, most of the people who support this thing are not ready to do the hard work of democracy. They somehow expect that a nationality confrence would magically fix all problems. Does not work that way.

There is nothing wrong with amalgamation, but there is a lot wrong with our attitude to governance in this country. And a nationalites confrence is not going to change that.

That is the essence of referendum people vote to decide these points U mention. I can be Igbo and vote against it to remain with Nigeria.

Tochitee:
Someone ones said the moment Obi lose the election you will start hearing biafra,biafra ! If I’m the president, this ipob retard will be arrested by Dss immediately !

But you're not the president. You're not actually anybody. You're a nobody. A nuisance online. A mosquito who thinks himself a bird.

Obi we know, tinubu we know but who are you? Who is your father?

OChimex:
He is Ipob and he is a retard. Why not let these Ipod retard go their separate way to form a retarded country of their own?
Says alot

Who the fvck is holding you back. Pack your shit and get the fvck out of my land. Move to your Biafuro and you will be left alone.
You cannot be all over Nigeria and be crying to be left alone.

Amalgamation Treaty 1914 expired 2014. This is known in the political cycle hence the reason North and South are rotating presidency and each side focusing on theirs during governance.

Niger Delta oil is what keeps our union together.