In the world of Nigerian politics, a figure is emerging and attracting public attention: Akin Fapohunda. As the leader of the Yoruba Afenifere socio-cultural group, he recently made headlines by introducing an innovative bill titled “A Bill to Substitute the Schedule to Decree No. 24 of 1999 with a New Model of Governance for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This ambitious proposal seeks to introduce new laws under the name “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – New Model of Governance for Nigeria 2024”.
However, despite the interest generated by this bill, it was recently rejected by the House of Representatives. House spokesperson Akin Rotimi told Punch that the bill had not yet been placed on the agenda for deliberation.
However, Akin Fapohunda remains determined and has announced his intention to send the bill to President Tinubu as early as Friday. He spoke in the columns of the newspaper saying: “I am submitting my letter (draft law) today, but I will wait seven days before making it public.”
At the same time, Fapohunda, who also represents the Coalition of Indigenous Ethnic Nationalities, advocates a division of the country into eight geopolitical regions with provisional borders. These proposed regions include a Southern region comprising Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and Cross Rivers States, as well as a South East region comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi States , Enugu and Imo.
In addition, other regions are being considered, such as the West-Central region, comprising Edo and Delta States, and the South-Central-East region, comprising Northern Cross River, South Kaduna, Southern Borno, Adamawa, Benue, Kogi, Plateau, Nasarawa and Taraba. This proposal raises key issues for the future of governance in Nigeria and how the country could be administered more effectively and inclusively.
Akin Fapohunda’s initiative thus opens the way to essential debates on the political and administrative organization of the country. His bold and innovative vision for a new model of governance could potentially redefine the way Nigeria is governed and provide solutions to the current challenges facing the country. This proposal, although controversial, undeniably provokes deep reflections on the future of the nation and the need for policy innovations to meet the changing needs of Nigerian society.