The Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, has explained that for federalism to be achieve in Nigeria in line with the vision of its founding fathers, especially the first Premier of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, leaders and stakeholders would have to reach an elite consensus.
Penpushing reports that Makinde stated this at the 2026 Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Lecture, held at the Efunyela Hall, Obafemi Awolowo Residence, Ikenne, Ogun State, and equally hailed Awolowo for his vision and his stance on federalism as well as his insightful leadership.
The Governor lamented and pointed out that subsequent leaders of the country became too complacent over the years, recalling that Awolowo before tackling any challenge would look at the data and logic behind those things.
“Well, I think we became complacent over the years. Papa Awolowo, before tackling any challenge, he would look at the data, the logic behind those things, and he would look at the science. Those were the tools he used to make decisions. But here, now you see that leadership is such that we just make decisions because we think we are playing politics or because we think, oh, it is nice to have’, Makinde said.
Penpushing further reports that he has been following the footsteps of the late sage, which he said include education, health, economic emancipation and security among others which are paramount for his administration
“If you look at the cardinal programmes of Papa Awolowo, you have education, you have health, you have economic emancipation. If you add security to it, that is exactly what we are doing in Oyo State’, he stressed
Penpushing also reports that Makinde emphasized that federalism is the right approach for Nigeria, given its diversity, insisting that its leaders must come together and focus on the country’s future rather than its present challenges, through an elite consensus.
‘An elite consensus is a situation where the ruling class and political leaders agree unanimously on long-term goals for national stability, policy direction, and the preservation of the system’, he stated
Penpushing reports that the Governor explained that without that consensus, Nigeria might face more difficult times in the coming decades, agreeing that true federalism is the way to go
“Yes, I agree, true federalism is the way to go. But you need elite consensus. Yes, we all need to come together. We should stop thinking about the next election. Let us think about the next generation’, he added.
‘There are two countries in Africa that have passed through very difficult situations, perhaps more difficult than Nigeria. I have been talking to our past military leaders. Some of them served in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the United Nations contingents. One of them said he was there in 1960. The other one said he was there in 1961’.
“Okay, let us fast forward — 1960 to 2026, that’s 66 years. The two former military leaders were there for peacekeeping when rebels overran Eastern DRC after they killed Patrice Lumumba’, Makinde said.
“Now, in December of last year, I was watching on TV the president of Rwanda and the President of DRC, they were signing a peace agreement because rebels had not stopped operating in Eastern DRC. That is a period of 65 years’.
“If we don’t do something about our situation in Nigeria, 100 years from now, we will still be in the same situation, because we have seen it happen elsewhere. Here is another scenario. Rwanda faced a genocide; almost a million people were killed in 1994’.
‘But if I ask anybody in this room today, If you are likely to transit through a country to go to Asia, which country will it be? Very likely, it would be Rwanda because they took up the challenge. They fixed their country. And now everybody wants to go right there. So, we have to do what Rwanda did if we want a change in our trajectory.”
Penpushing further reports that earlier in her welcome address the founding member and Executive Director of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu explained that the Obafemi Awolowo lecture is one the Foundation’s platforms which offers not just a moment of remembrance but also for reflection and commitment to the ideals of quality leadership and public service embodied in the Late Chief Awolowo.
The Executive Director announced the establishment of Awolowo Future Leaders Fellowship aimed at making, freshly relevant, the legacies of values that define the leadership of the late Sage.
Penpushing also reports that the lecture was attended by former Governors Gbenga Daniel and Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Minister of State for Health, Dr Isiaq Salako; Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele; Chief Bode George, Prince Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji (Founder Penpushing Media)
The others are Ambassador Yemi Farounbi, Iba Gani Adams Gani Adams(Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland) Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Obi of Onitsha and Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who was the chairman of the occasion; patron of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation among others.
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