THE catch phrase in the title is credited to the unforgettable Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin), leader of the Great October Bolshevik revolution of 1917 in Russia. After the February Revolution in 1917, social and political chaos characterised the Russian society increasingly. At the First All-Russia Congress of Soviets in June-July dominated by delegates of the Socialist Revolutionaries (285 seats), Mensheviks (248 seats) and Bolsheviks (105 seats), the Chairman of the Petrograds Soviets, Irakli Tsereteli, posed the historical challenge of Russian politics in the question: can any delegate name a party that would risk taking power and accepting full responsibility for everything happening in Russia? On the second day of Congress when it was Lenin’s turn to speak, he started boldly by saying “There Is!” There was only loud applause from the Bolsheviks and laughter from the rest of the hall. However, by October, the Bolshevik revolution and total takeover of power happened.
Fast forwards to Nigeria in 2022, the historical challenge to the social, economic and political crises of Nigeria would likely be posed today in the question: can any party confidently come out to say it will return Nigeria to a Genuine Federal Republic if given power at the centre?
Expectation of a firm positive answer from the All Progressives Congress (APC) was what made Nigerians, against all odds, voted out an incumbent government and party at the centre in 2015. More than seven years after, Nigeria is as far away from a genuine federal republic as it ever was and mired in unprecedented security challenges, sectional and sectarian extremisms and economic woes. Having escaped from a party with a “stealing is not corruption” philosophy to where we are now, the question remains “which party can come out boldly to commit to the return of Nigeria to a true Federal Republic if given power at the centre?” If APC of all parties can renege and fail on that promise, is there then such a party today? If not, what is to be done, considering that the ultimate solution to Nigeria’s multifaceted problems, without doubt, is a return to its original self – A Federal Republic?
This is the key question young people must ask themselves to arrive at “what is to be done” then organise around their resolutions. They must realise and accept that a hundred more general elections in 800 years would never deliver anything good so long as we remain a fake and self-deceiving Federal Republic centrally hooked by the lazy, unpatriotic elites on control, sharing and mismanagement of “free” oil-rent money, without any sense of social responsibility. In the specific context of an almighty unitary, presidential system, what we need is a president, and as many governors and national/state assembly members to commit to the restructuring deal!
Accordingly, in the upcoming general elections of 2023, young people especially and progressive popular organisations at large should look beyond party, ethnic and religious divides to mobilise and vote for individuals with track records of genuine commitment to true federalism, among candidates for the state houses of assembly all the way to the President. Once all elections are done with, their task is to organise the mass pressure movement to ensure constitutional return to genuine federalism, “by all means necessary.”
On the basis of the current virus-ridden and wrong constitutional operating system, no quantum of good intention or “integrity” by any Governor or President can make him or her deliver sustainable democratic or development dividends.
Once accepted, next is organisation and action! Everything else is deceit and exercise in futility and a delay of the “judgement day” for Nigeria.
