By Henry Obetta

Businessman-turned politician, Mr Kelvin Chinedu Okechukwu has attributed Nigeria’s problems to indiscipline among its leaders and citizens across all sectors adding that the country needs reformation in order to function properly.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, at Panama hotels and suites in Ago Okota, Okechukwu said that current political leaders lack the right ideologies needed to run the country while citing inconsistencies in the judiciary system.

He said: “Nigeria as a country is not disciplined. Some people say its corruption but its just a little part of it. When you talk of corruption, people look at the politicians, people in government and civil servants. But when I talk of indiscipline, it encompasses every Nigerian, both the leaders and the led.”

Ikechukwu criticised the country’s political class for lacking clear ideological direction, saying most parties make identical campaign promises without offering concrete reform agendas.

He said: “In Nigeria, our politicians don’t have ideology. They all say the same thing—’I will build roads, I will fight corruption.’ What they should focus on is reform.

“They don’t know the problem of Nigeria. All of them just want to be in power. None of them have any idea on how to fix Nigeria.”

He cited inconsistencies in the country’s justice system stating that punishments are not given to government officials or ordinary citizens who commit crimes while highlighting it as starting point for national transformation.

He said: “People commit crime, no punishment. Government workers can do anything and go free. What we cannot try in other countries, we do anything in Nigeria and go free. And how will things work well? People who are in prison are people that cannot afford bail. Out of 80,000, only 30,000 people are trial convicts. The other 50,000 are waiting trial and are assumed innocent.

“So I want to tell Nigerians that I’m coming to overhaul the judicial system. Make sure that we have free and fair trials. Quick dispensation of justice. Once we get the justice system right, I believe we can get other things right.”

Okechukwu emphasised that Nigeria’s challenges will not be solved by zoning the presidency, insisting that comprehensive reforms are more important to national development.

He argued that while zoning promotes inclusiveness in a diverse country like Nigeria, it is not the root cause of the nation’s problems.

He said: “Zoning is not the problem of Nigeria. Whether they zone or don’t zone is not the problem. We are talking about zoning because things are not working well.”

He noted that countries where institutions function effectively do not make leadership rotation a major issue, stressing that Nigerians are more concerned about access to power because governance has failed to deliver equitable development.

According to Okechukwu, Nigeria requires reforms anchored on fairness, firmness and proportionality rather than political power struggles.

He said: “It doesn’t matter who rules. It matters that things work well. Once things are properly aligned, the country can go on autopilot.”

He also distanced himself from personal political ambition, saying his primary objective is to promote an ideology of reform rather than seek elective office.

“I’m not power hungry. What I want for Nigeria is my ideology to sell. It’s not a must that I must be there for this idea to work,” he added.

He disclosed that he has begun mobilising like-minded Nigerians to build a movement around his reform agenda, expressing confidence that the ideology would gain wider acceptance in the coming years.