Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, have faulted Nigeria’s brand of federalism, describing ethnicity, weak institutions, and disregard for the rule of law as major obstacles to true democracy.
They spoke on Tuesday during the third Annual Memorial Public Lecture organised by the Niger Delta University (NDU) in collaboration with the Bayelsa Founding Fathers Forum in honour of Dr. Ayebakepreye Amba Ambaiowei, held at the university’s auditorium in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
Governor Diri, represented by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, argued that Nigeria has never truly practiced federalism since independence in 1960. According to him, nationalist leaders such as Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and Sir Ahmadu Bello championed more of regional and ethnic agendas than national unity, creating a legacy that still undermines effective governance.
“The nationalists we revere, did they actually work for federalism? My answer is yes and no. Azikiwe’s NCNC was limited to the Southeast, Awolowo’s Action Group to the Southwest, while Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa’s NPC was confined to the North. That was not federalism. Yet they were united by the desire to free Nigeria from colonial rule,” Diri said.
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He stressed that until Nigeria adopts a system of government that reflects the interests of all federating units and respects the rule of law, democracy will remain fragile. He also paid glowing tribute to Dr. Ambaiowei and other Bayelsa founding fathers, noting that the state’s creation had paved the way for its progress in governance and development.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Bishop Kukah said Nigeria must confront the peculiarities of its democracy to achieve inclusiveness. He identified ethnicity and religion as divisive forces that continue to fuel rivalry and weaken federalism.
“The question we must ask is, what is peculiar about our democracy? We have failed to erase the corrosive edges of ethnicity and religion. They remain potent weapons of division, keeping Nigeria volatile and unstable,” Kukah said. He urged citizens to remain hopeful, adding that investment in critical infrastructure would strengthen interconnectivity, unity, and national well-being.
Chairman of the occasion, former Rivers State Deputy Governor Dr. Gabriel Toby, described the late Ambaiowei as a pioneer minority rights advocate whose efforts contributed to Bayelsa’s creation. He stressed that Nigeria must embrace genuine federalism to harness its full potential.
In his goodwill message, retired Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah, immediate past deputy governor of Bayelsa and chairman of the Bayelsa Elders Council, said the state’s creation with only eight local government areas was not a privilege but a disservice, considering its huge economic contributions to the nation.
The Vice Chancellor of NDU, Prof. Allen Agih, in his welcome address, said the lecture’s theme, “Convergence and Coalescence of Federalists as Imperative for the Survival of the Nigerian State,” was timely given Nigeria’s current political realities.
The event drew dignitaries including Hon. Rodney Ambaiowei, representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives; Ambassador Bolade Igali, Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum; Prof. Franklin Osaisai; Chief Timi Kaiser Ogoriba; and Bishop Hyacinth Ogbebo of the Bomadi Catholic Diocese, among others.
