I recently had a virtual conversation with an aide to President Bola Tinubu, during which I raised a lingering question: why has the conversation around restructuring Nigeria faded, even among those who once championed it, including the president himself? In response, the aide argued that restructuring has already been achieved under the current administration. He outlined several reasons to support this claim, but I found the explanation largely unpersuasive.
Around the same time, I watched an interview featuring Reno Omokri on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande. In that discussion, Omokri asserted that many Nigerians fail to recognise that restructuring has already taken place. He pointed to initiatives such as tax reforms, local government autonomy, and the establishment of regional development commissions, describing them as evidence of what he termed “restructuring by the backdoor.” I disagree with this characterisation, particularly because Tinubu, during his years in opposition, never advocated for any form of covert or indirect restructuring.
Few ideas have commanded as much rhetorical consensus in Nigeria’s political evolution as “restructuring.” For decades, it has been a rallying cry for opposition politicians, civil society groups, and regional advocates seeking a more balanced federation. Yet history shows that once its loudest champions assume power, its urgency fades. Under President Bola Tinubu, that familiar silence has returned.
This quiet is striking given Tinubu’s political history. As governor of Lagos State under the Alliance for Democracy in the early Fourth Republic, he was among the most vocal advocates of restructuring. He consistently criticised the centralised system under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led federal government, arguing that true federalism was essential to Nigeria’s development and unity.
At the time, restructuring was not a slogan; it was a necessity. Tinubu and his allies argued that excessive centralisation stifled innovation, weakened states, and entrenched inefficiency. Lagos became a model of subnational assertiveness, challenging federal authority on revenue allocation and local government autonomy.
Today, the contrast is stark. Tinubu now occupies the centre of power he once criticised. Yet more than a year into his presidency, there is no clear, coordinated push for restructuring. The question is unavoidable: what changed?
Part of the answer lies in the nature of power. Opposition politics thrives on bold ideas; governance is constrained by realities—political, economic, and institutional. As president, Tinubu must manage competing regional interests, many of which lack a common vision for restructuring. What one region sees as devolution, another sees as marginalisation.
Since assuming office, President Tinubu has pursued a series of bold and often painful reforms—from fuel subsidy removal to exchange rate unification—aimed at stabilising Nigeria’s economy. Yet, amid these sweeping changes, one critical reform remains conspicuously absent: restructuring.
Long championed as the foundation for a more functional and equitable federation, restructuring was never meant to be optional or secondary. It speaks to the very architecture of governance—how power is shared, how resources are controlled, and how accountability is enforced. Without it, many of the administration’s reforms risk operating within a system whose structural weaknesses continue to undermine efficiency and national cohesion. The question, therefore, is not whether reforms are happening, but whether the most fundamental one has been left behind.
Ironically, Tinubu has the pedigree to lead this effort. His progressive credentials and federalist stance position him to build consensus. His political network spans regions, offering a rare chance to bridge divides that have stalled reform.
Continued silence sends the wrong signal. It reinforces a pattern in Nigerian politics: bold ideas in opposition, retreat in power. This erodes public trust and sustains the imbalances leaders once vowed to fix.
This is compounded by Tinubu’s stance on the 2014 National Conference convened by Goodluck Jonathan. While many saw it as a path to restructuring, he dismissed it as a “Greek gift.” As president, he can revisit its substance, but there is little sign of engagement.
Restructuring is not a cure-all, but it is essential to long-term stability. A more balanced federation—where states have greater autonomy and accountability—can drive innovation, improve service delivery, and ease pressure on the centre.
What is needed now is clarity. Nigerians deserve to know the administration’s position. Is restructuring still a priority? If so, what form will it take? If not, what alternative exists to address over-centralisation?
The burden is not the government’s alone. Opposition platforms, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), must sustain the conversation, regardless of who holds power.
Ultimately, restructuring is about Nigeria’s future. A country this diverse cannot thrive under a rigid, centralised system that struggles to meet local needs.
Tinubu’s presidency is both a test and an opportunity: a test of his past convictions and an opportunity to build a lasting legacy.
Silence is not neutral. It is a choice—with consequences for governance, trust, and national cohesion. If restructuring was ever a true conviction, it must now translate into action. That action is not symbolic—such as replacing “Arise, O Compatriots” with “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.” It lies in constitutional reform: granting states greater autonomy, revising revenue allocation, enabling state policing and resource control, and reducing powers concentrated at the federal level.
Anything less reinforces a familiar pattern: reform rhetoric is loudest when implementation is least likely, and critics often fall short once in power. It is very easy to criticise the ruling party as an opposition in order to gain power. Now that you are in control, it is time to fulfill the promises made and address the long standing issue of restructuring Nigeria.
Akinsuyi, former group politics editor of the Daily Independent, writes from Abuja, Nigeria. He can be reached at shabydayo@gmail.com
