By Huldah Shado
Former Minister of Information and ex-President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, has warned that Nigeria could disintegrate before the 2027 general elections if urgent steps are not taken to restructure the country.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at the public presentation of two books authored by veteran journalist Ike Abonyi, Nwodo criticized Nigeria’s current governance system, calling it a “unitary constitution disguised as federalism” that has failed to tackle the nation’s deep-rooted challenges.
The event, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, attracted prominent personalities including Labour Party’s Peter Obi, PDP chieftain Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, and Emmanuel Agbo who represented Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed.
Nwodo advocated for the devolution of powers to regions, resource control by sub-national entities, and fiscal federalism.
He warned that the country could face a constitutional crisis if reforms are not implemented, with the possibility of regions boycotting future elections or rejecting their outcomes.
“If restructuring does not happen, we will have no alternative but to go our separate ways,” he declared.
He also lamented worsening socioeconomic conditions across the country, citing high youth unemployment, deepening poverty, and crumbling infrastructure.
He referenced alarming reports by the United Nations and the World Bank as indicators of Nigeria’s fragile state.
