A group of elder- statesmen and opinion leaders drawn from different parts of Nigeria have launched a fresh campaign for the restructuring of the country. The eminent Nigerians, operating under the aegis of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) yesterday, asked the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency and priority, prepare the modalities towards the restructuring of Nigeria to enthrone true federalism as was originally entrenched in the 1960 and 1963 constitution.

The renewed agitation for broad based constitutional reforms came at a crucial summit of the SMBLF held in Abuja. The Forum also called for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from detention as a way of stemming the worsening insecurity in the Southeast geopolitical zone of the country. Among those who attended the meeting were the leader of the forum, Chief Edwin Clark; leader of the Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo;

President General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; Chairman, Middle Belt Elders Council and former Governor of Rivers State, General Zamani Lekwot (rtd); President, Middle Belt Forum, Dr Pogu Bitrus and the National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Senator Emmanuel Ibok- Essien among others.

They warned that without restructuring, the future of Nigeria and the sustainability of her democracy would remain bleak. The forum charged President Bola Tinubu to take an urgent look at the 2014 National Conference Report as well as the All Progressives Congress (APC) Report on True Federalism.

In a bid to fast track the broad-based political reforms, the SMBLF has resolved to set up a Strategic Committee on Restructuring and expressed readiness to interface with the Federal Government, the National Assembly and all other stakeholders on the issues. The forum expressed sewhere certain sections of the country are continually marginalized in the number of states, local governments and even appointments into the Federal Executive Council.

It requested that the South-East be appropriately represented on the Federal Executive Council as other geo-political zones. They insisted that for Nigeria to remain a united country all citizens and sections must enjoy a full sense of belonging and equality at all times.

The SMBLF urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) since a court of competent jurisdiction had so ordered, stressing that granting him freedom will promote peace and security in the SouthEast region.

The meeting extensively discussed the outcome of the 2023 General Elections and commended the political class, especially the leading Presidential candidates in the election for their recourse to constitutional means in redressing their grievances. They noted that the Supreme Court judgment on the 2023 Presidential Election delivered on Thursday effectively brought to an end the legal processes on the conduct and outcome of the Presidential Election, held on February 25, 2023.