Ex-Ohanaeze President-General, Nwodo warns of Nigeria’s possible disintegration before 2027

Former Minister of Information and ex-President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, has issued a stark warning that Nigeria may face disintegration before the 2027 general elections unless decisive steps are taken to restructure the country.

Nwodo made the statement on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering a keynote lecture titled “How Did We Get Here?” during the public presentation of two books by veteran journalist Ike Abonyi. The event, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, drew prominent political figures including Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi; PDP chieftain Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu-Deen; and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, represented by Emmanuel Agbo, Director-General of the PDP Governors’ Forum.

In his address, Nwodo criticised Nigeria’s current governance structure, describing it as a “unitary constitution masquerading as federalism,” which he said has failed to meet the country’s complex and diverse needs.

He called for a comprehensive restructuring of the country, including devolution of power, resource control by states or regions, and fiscal federalism.

“Nigeria must restructure and give its component units sovereignty over their natural resources, provided they pay royalty or some form of taxation to the Federal Government for core responsibilities like external defence, foreign missions, customs, and immigration,” Nwodo said. “If restructuring does not happen before the 2027 elections, we may see boycotts or outright rejection of election results. If it does not happen, we will have no alternative but to go our separate ways.”

He also highlighted the worsening socioeconomic indicators in the country, citing high youth unemployment, deepening poverty, and deteriorating infrastructure.

Quoting the United Nations World Population Prospects 2025, he noted that Nigeria now has the lowest life expectancy in the world at 54.8 years.

He further referenced World Bank data estimating that Nigeria loses over $1 billion annually due to poor road infrastructure.

Also speaking at the event, former PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of overseeing the “gradual liquidation” of both Nigeria’s democracy and economy.

“We don’t have democracy in our country,” Secondus said. “What we have is a platform for winning elections. Our country is gradually moving toward liquidation, presided over by Bola Tinubu.”

He also condemned Nigeria’s political parties for lacking ideology and long-term vision, comparing them unfavorably with South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC), which he praised as an enduring political institution.

The books launched—The Bubbles of Nigeria’s Democracy: The Musings of a Nigerian Journalist and Wadata Wonders: Memoirs of a Partisan Journalist—were reviewed by veteran journalist and former Guardian MD, Martins Oloja. He commended Abonyi’s open embrace of partisanship in journalism, noting that alternative viewpoints are essential for healthy democratic discourse.

Peter Obi’s appearance at the event sparked speculation about possible political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, though the former governor did not make any public comments during the event.