KEY POINTS

• Over a six-year reign as president, Chekwas Okorie places a strong emphasis on restructuring and legitimate elections.
• According to Okorie, reorganization will give every region a feeling of identity.
• Votes should count under his highly technologically advanced voting system.

Chief Chekwas Okorie, the founding National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has highlighted that Nigeria urgently needs a credible electoral process and restructuring, not the implementation of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposed six-year single term for the presidency.

Calls for electoral credibility and restructuring

In a recent submission to the National Assembly’s Constitution Amendment Committee, Atiku Abubakar argued in favor of a single, six-year presidential term.

In response, Okorie pointed out that similar comments made by the late Vice President Alex Ekwueme during the 1994 National Conference called by the late General Sani Abacha indicate that such a concept is not new.

Although Okorie acknowledged that he is not completely against the idea of a single, six-year term, he emphasized that restructuring is Nigeria’s most urgent need.

“What we need now is a credible, technologically driven electoral process where people’s votes truly count, not the flawed system we currently have,” he stated.

Okorie clarified that tensions in the region might have been reduced if the six-year single-term plan had been put into effect sooner.

He continued, “If the presidency had rotated among the six geopolitical zones over 36 years, it would have reduced fears of domination and given each region a sense of belonging.”

Acknowledging previous attempts at change

In addition, Okorie cited the 2014 National Conference, which was led by the late President Goodluck Jonathan and resulted in agreements on more than 660 topics, including restructuring. But Okorie bemoaned the fact that Jonathan lacked the political guts to carry out the suggestions.

According to Vanguard, he emphasized that in order to ensure more equitable governance among the regions and lessen the appeal of the presidency, the nation must be restructured.

He made a contrast to California, the wealthiest state in the union but one that does not see secessionist unrest because of efficient governing structures that benefit all citizens.

The opposition to a one-term president

According to Okorie, the debate over a one-term president is diverting attention from the crucial changes that Nigeria sorely needs.

Furthermore, he claimed that by giving states more authority and responsibility and guaranteeing that all citizens have equal chances, Nigeria must address the underlying reasons of unhappiness and division.

“Restructuring will provide a governance model that reduces regional tensions and makes public office less about personal gain and more about serving the people,” Okorie said.