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Nigeria’s Federal System: Agitation For Disintegration May Escalate If… – Don Warns
A Professor of Comparative Constitutional Law and Governance, Edoba Bright Omoregie, has advocated an urgent correction to the anomalies in the Nigeria’s federal system in order to avoid the looming “violent disintegration.”
He warned that if the country continue to witness the kind of resistance to federalism reforms as experienced particularly in the last few years, the risk of disintegration may escalate.
Prof. Omoregie, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), made these assertions while delivering University of Benin Inaugural Lecture titled ‘Nigeria’s Federal System In a Quandary: The Whys and Hows to fix it.’
Omoregie who identified the principle of power sharing; incoherent system of federal solidarity and non-obligation to provide minimum standard of living for citizens, etc, as major banes of Nigeria’s federal system, said the “adoption in the quest for federalism reforms in Nigeria would not be if the current imbalance in the distribution powers be reversed.”
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“We must do everything possible to avoid the looming violent disintegration, because we are heading towards that direction. The sign of possible disintegration is glaring. This is happening in Ethiopia and other countries. So, we need to fix our faulty federal system to avoid violent disintegration,” he added.
According to him, lack of autonomy in horizontal and management of the states; lack of autonomy in access to significant tax revenue sources are all major challenges causing agitation for disintegration.
He added: “The 1999 Constitution institutes a federal system which denies the states their autonomy relative to the Federal Government… It is manifest in fiscal allocation and inter-government revenue relationship by which the states are denied direct and autonomous access to significant tax revenue source.”
He continued: “State governments have also been denied autonomy in the horizontal organisation and management of their internal adminstration. The first point where this is manifest is the enacting of a single national constitution and the implied prohibition of sub-national constitutions. This is in constrast to the country’s pre-1966 federal system when the regions had their own regional constitutions in addition to the national constitution.”
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He, therefore, advocated that “high premium should be placed on federalism expertise to promote the imperative of federalisation and reform constested aspects of the Nigeria’s federal system, while forestalling unprincipled constitution alteration of the system.”
He further said “a well-resourced expert-driven reform and constitution alteration of unsatisfactory aspects of the Nigeria’s federal system,” should be put in place.”
According to him, “the deployment of policy federalism to address gaps in the dysfunctional aspects of Nigeria’s federal system pending constitutional alteration,” should be encouraged.
While noting that the Federal Government has taken more than it can deliver, the scholar further advocated establishment of institutions wherein true federalism would be taught.
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In his goodwill message, a former Minority Whip, House of Representatives, Dr. Samson Osagie said the guest lecturer placed “within the context of the complicated federal structure Nigeria pretends to be operating at the moment.”
According to Osagie, “indeed in the midst of the confusion created by the constitution which vests all powers on the Federal Government, (as items in both the Exclusive and Concurrent lists are items on which the Federal Government has powers to legislate) Nigeria in actual practice is actually a Unitary State with abundant and unworkable principles of Federalism.”
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Edo NLC Crisis: Caretaker Committee Drags Rival Exco, Govt To Court
The division in the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), took a new dimension on Wednesday as Prof. Monday Monday Lewis Igbafen-led caretaker committee approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Benin Judicial Division, seeking to affirm its authority and restrain a rival executive from parading itself as the council’s leadership.
Joined in the suit are the Edo State Government, the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
In a suit marked: NICN/BEN/12/2026, and filed before the court in Benin, the claimant, Igbafen, acting for himself and on behalf of the NLC Caretaker Committee in Edo State, is challenging the continued occupation of the union’s secretariat and control of its assets by members of the Bernard Egwakhide-led factional State Executive Council.
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The claimants are asking the court to declare that the caretaker committee (Igbafen-led faction), constituted on August 11, 2025, by the NLC national leadership, remains the only lawful authority to administer the affairs of the Edo State Council pending fresh elections.
They further seek a declaration that the continued occupation of the NLC secretariat located at No. 1 Teboga Road, Benin City, as well as the retention of union assets, financial records, and official instruments by the defendants, is illegal and void.
The suit also prays for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from parading themselves as officials of the NLC Edo Council or interfering with the functions of the caretaker committee.
In addition, the claimants are seeking a mandatory order compelling the defendants to immediately hand over the secretariat, vehicles, financial documents, cheque books, and all other properties belonging to the union.
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The caretaker committee further urged the court to restrain the state government and its officials from interfering in the internal affairs of the union, alleging undue support for the dissolved executive.
The claimants further demand N50 million as general and exemplary damages against the defendants for alleged unlawful usurpation of office and acts prejudicial to the administration of the council.
According to court documents made available to our correspondent, the crisis followed the dissolution of the Edo State Council by the NLC National Executive Council on February 27, 2025, over allegations of misconduct, anti-union activities, and constitutional violations.
However, the matter has yet to be assigned a hearing date.
News
Transfer: Premier League Clubs Scramble For Dele-Bashiru
Lazio midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is a subject of interest from three Premier League clubs, according to Sky Sports.
Lazio reportedly rejected offers from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for the Nigeria international in January.
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La Biancolesti are bracing for more interest in Dele-Bashiru ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports.
The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Serie A club.
The attacking midfielder joined the Rome-based club from Turkish Super Lig outfit Hatayspor in 2024.
He has been a regular feature for Lazio this season.
News
Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses
The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.
DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.
A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.
READ ALSO:Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria
“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.
“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.
“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.
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