Tension As Northern And Southern Lawmakers Clash

Nigerian senators from the south and the north differ on the call for a return to a regional system of government. They shared their thoughts at a two-day retreat on the amendments to the 1999 Constitution, which the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, in partnership with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) in Kano, put on. While senators from the northern region were very against the idea, those from southern Nigeria thought it was a good idea, as it would help the economy, make the country safer, and build more infrastructure. However, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, told Nigerians that the issue of regionalism was separate from the ongoing constitution review. A senator from Bauchi Central Senatorial District, Abdul Ningi, told journalists that his people would only support the idea if they experienced development when the system was in place during the First Republic. Senator Sani Musa, who heads the Senate Committee on Finance, advised Nigerians to distinguish the creation of zonal development commissions from regionalism. He said the various geopolitical zonal development commissions were set up to help with social and economic development in their areas. Similarly, former Senate Leader Ali Ndume said that true federalism was no longer popular because many African countries had rejected it. He said we need to create strong institutions to govern effectively and fight corruption and insecurity. Senator Muntari Dandutse, who chairs the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TetFund and represents Katsina South, also has a different take on regional government. However, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, representing Oyo North, had a different take on the regional system of government. Buhari said it would be presented at the appropriate time when asked whether the South West region had a specific agenda for the ongoing constitution review.