By Ephraim Oseji

Contrary to the insinuation by some Nigerians, a  former   Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)   gubernatorial aspirant, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, says Nigeria can be restructured without going to war. Speaking to  journalists in Kano, Onuesoke pointed out that Nigeria has developed to a state where it could be restructured without shedding a drop of blood, adding that Nigeria  got independence from the British government without fighting  despite that those from some part of the country were opposed to  independence then.

“If  could  get our independence from our colonialists  without going to war, I wonder why we cannot restructure our system  to reflect  true federalism without shedding blood”, he stated. The former governorship contender, who said Nigeria has been restructured so many times without fighting, although   not the right type of restructuring,   recalled   that every time there is a constitutional change, that is restructuring because such constitutional provisions are either giving power and authority to those in government or to the people.

“Since independence, Nigeria has been restructured from four regions that made the regions self- sufficient, to 12 states, to  19 states and now 36  states including the removal of   the federal capital   from Lagos to Abuja. In all this restructuring no war was fought,” he recalled. The PDP  chieftain  maintained that Nigerians must renegotiate their union in order to make it stronger, arguing that greater autonomy, power and resources for states and local authorities would give the federating units greater freedom and flexibility to address local issues, priorities and peculiarities.