Opinion
The Jurisprudence Of Zoning Or Rotational Governance
Law, incidentally, does not enjoy a universal acceptance in terms of definitions. There are points of convergence as there are points which presuppose definitional parallelism. The absence of this universality in definition, when juxtaposed with other disciplines known to mankind, clearly underscores the uniqueness of law as a discipline. As such, any definition of law proffered will definitely lay bare the dictates of which school of thought which the proponent of such definition adheres to. This treatise, purposively, is not an attempt to offer lectures on Jurisprudence; as such, the urge to further elucidate on the theories of law will therefore be consciously avoided. Yet, it is imperative to mention that currently, laws which proceed from the people are favoured against laws which proceed from the Leviathan since law ought to be ‘people-oriented’. By so doing, the logic of force is obviated and the force of logic entrenched and enforced.
The attempt to constantly ensure that there is a viable atmosphere for the entrenchment of the force of logic in the affairs of a people or groups of peoples crystallized in democracy (or republicanism) as a system of governance. In this type of political arrangement, ‘people-oriented’ laws are ensured or at least, expected. It was in view of this that the extant constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, its innumerable amendments notwithstanding, had in the past and currently pilloried as ‘not autochthonous’.
It is unarguable; the fact that some norms that guide a particular society, especially those borne out of prolonged usage and acceptance, largely remain unwritten, uncodified and unlegislated upon, thus depriving them of the force of law. Yet, it does not in any manner reduce the conscious obeisance accorded to them by the majority of the populace. For instance, in the South of Nigeria, it is not illegal for someone to have carnal knowledge of the spouse of another, as long as it is lawful. But in the North of Nigeria where the Penal Code is operative, adultery has been legislated into an offence for which one, if proven guilty, can be penalized. Thus, in the South of Nigeria, no one can be penalized for adultery (which is in the realm of moral wrong); it is only expected that one should not engage in such moral wrong.
In these years leading to the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, zoning or rotational governance has once again taken the front burner in national (political) debates. Some persons have even, in a seeming feat of prophesy, suggested that the adherence to zoning or the lack therefore will determine the automatic survival or decimation of the Nigerian Republic – and even if the non-adherence to zoning does not immediately initiate the death of Nigeria, it would at least activate her winding-up proceedings. It is therefore deviously impish, to say the least, to even slightly suggest that a topic which dominates national discourse should be suppressed locally. In my very humble opinion, the foremost concern ought to be, as recently suggested by Nnamdi Nwokedi, to ensure that those who will be fielded from the desired zone be people who would not be overwhelmed by or averse to the art and demand of modern governance as I have also suggested elsewhere.
If we all agree that law is a set of rules or norms which guide a society, either borne of custom, collective habit or long usage, then the idea or practice of ‘zoning or rotational governance’, as unwritten, unlegislated and uncodified as it remains, is by every means, a law. It will be utterly puerile to argue otherwise. We have to bear in mind that the six geo-political zones which Nigeria has been partitioned into is not a product of any written law but an extra-legal policy adopted to make the management of a rather unwieldy polity easier.
Agaptus Nwozor submitted, and rightly so, that “the absence of an authoritative constitutional beacon as a guide for what constitutes Nigerian political zones does not invalidate their usefulness as essential categories.” Asides the whitepaper submitted to the General Sani Abacha administration following what was known as the 1994 constitutional conference, the only official document wherein zoning was adopted is the constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party in its Article 7(2)(c). According to Nwozor (supra), “the PDP constitution not only recognized the imperative of zoning and rotation as irreducible requirements for engendering feelings of inclusiveness and belonging, it also implied an order of rotation in 1999. Therefore, contrary to arguments that there was no order or sequence of rotation, there was indeed an inferable order evident within the restrictions imposed by the PDP in 1999: it closed its doors to northern presidential aspirants and only considered presidential aspirants from the south-east, south-south and south-west. The late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, a North-Easterner, who defied the zoning and rotation principle to purchase the presidential nomination form, was refunded his nomination fee and was forbidden from contesting. This indicates that the PDP operated its zoning and rotation principle not as a tabula rasa, but as recognizing the realities of northern domination of the presidency since 1960.” What is more? The provisions of section 14 (3) and (4) and such similar provisions found in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) if given a wider interpretation, will accommodate and support the idea of zoning as they have given the principles of fairness, equity and inclusion a legislative imprimatur.
If one is to draw an analogy from the Rimi instance above, then the argument that zoning never existed in Enugu State as some aspirants had stood for elections in spite of the touted existence of zoning will fall flat on its face. In the circumstance, that argument will be weightless, the deliberate violation of the zoning norm, which in my most humble opinion is borne out of a needless exhibitionism, notwithstanding. As a matter of fact, there will never be an end to people’s choice to stand on the opposite side of the law – and as always, there shall be consequence. In Enugu State, Chief Hyde Onuaguluchi, Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu, Fidel Ayogu, Okey Ezea, etc, were at some time in history, beneficiaries of the consequence of such stiff neck violation of what has become the norm. More than any other (PDP) State in Nigeria, it seems that Enugu State has over the years fine-tuned or perfected the zoning policy. It is worthy of note that in from 2007 till date, no person from Enugu East Senatorial District of the State has contested to be elected the Governor of Enugu State.
Recently too – and thankfully so – following the poor outing of the PDP in the 2015 general elections, a committee was set up by the party for the purpose of ‘self-examination’. That Committee was headed by Distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremmadu. After various sessions of introspection, the Committee held as follows: “Since the last president of PDP extraction came from the southern part of Nigeria, it is recommended that PDP’s presidential candidate in 2019 general election should come from the northern part of the country in accordance with the popular views expressed in the submissions to the committee.” The Ekweremmadu-Committee further held thus: “the zoning principle, which has been the strength of the party, should be strictly adhered to as a matter of urgency at all levels!” The resolution of the Committee is clear and unambiguous and as such, the meaning is not farfetched.
In view of the above, the treaties submitted on this issue by Austin Okolie, with respect, is quite pedestrian, to say the least; and instead of smoothening the path of the distinguished Senator, as intended, has only succeeded in making it rugged and in turn, branding him as opportunistic and desperate. The culture of the PDP, evident in their constitution and most recently, the recommendation of the Ekweremmadu-Committee as also highlighted in the essay of Ezenwa Okenwa, are hard, stubborn facts which, in my very humble view, have placed the distinguished Senator and his camp between a rock and a hard place as far as the issue of zoning is concerned. It would be a herculean task extricating themselves therefrom without bruises – that is, if the attempt does not end in abysmal failure.
In alliance with the submissions of Dr. Dons Eze, I will quickly add that the principle of zoning or rotational governance, as far as Enugu State is concerned, will effortlessly find its roots in Historical and Anthropological Jurisprudence, particularly, the ‘Volksgeist’ theory which emphasizes that “all law originated in custom”. The History of the zoning arrangement in Enugu State has variously been stated and analyzed; particularly the feeling that eventually led to Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, a political neophyte at the time, being the pioneer Governor of Enugu State – a choice made in vehement opposition to other known names that could have easily scooped the coveted mantle. The urge to go into that history is herein jettisoned and dismissed as needless.
According to Lloyd, “law is not an abstract set of rules simply imposed on society, but is an integral part of that society, having deep roots in the social and economic habits and attitudes of its past and present members”. Thus, if we are to abide by the dictates of reason, there should be no ruckus about zoning or rotational governance in Enugu State. Pray, tell, which section of our constitution made it mandatory that a President from the North of the country should be paired with a Vice-President from the South- and that a Northern Muslim President ought to have as running mate, a Christian from the South- and vice versa. Pray, tell again, where it was written that the Governor of Enugu State should be paired with a Deputy Governor from a different zone in the State as we have had in the Governor Nnamani administration, Governor Chime administration and currently Governor Ugwuanyi administration. Yet, we have so religiously adhered to that unlegislated norm. And when, for any reason, a departure from that norm is perceived, we go to town, bearing incendiary criticisms. In Enugu State, as a matter of fact, not only is the Deputy Governor produced from another zone other than that of the Governor; the Speaker of the State Legislature is produced from the third zone to complete the tripodal sharing of the three most important political offices in the State. In an immature political structure as the one we presently have, it is never in the interest of the State to create dangerous precedents as those who chant the anti-zoning mantra have undertaken – by going about putting spanners in the works of peaceful co-existence.
If Governor Chimaroke Nnamani is clannish as some people mischievously label him, he would have leveraged on the paraphernalia of State power, the followership he commanded, shunned egalitarianism and ensured that he was succeeded by another Governor from his senatorial district. Yet, he chose His Excellency, Mr. Sullivan Chime who is from a different senatorial district to succeed him. If His Excellency, Mr. Sullivan Chime had succumbed to primordial leanings, as some persons counseled and urged him to, the current administration of His Excellency, Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi would only exist in limbo. Now, His Excellency, Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the amiable Governor of Enugu State, being forthright, in obeisance to the dictates of good reasoning and judgment, towing the path of wisdom, like his predecessors, deemed it expedient to pursue the cause of fairness, equity and unity has given a nod to the continued prevalence of the will of the people which runs through the contemporary history of governance in Enugu State. There is no justification, for statesmen and citizens alike, except those with a penchant for disunity, disharmony and chaos, not to queue behind him, marching towards the direction of probity in which he leads. In a society such as ours, blighted by political immaturity, the pros of rotational governance easily outweighs its cons – and any stance against same will metamorphose into an affront on the volkgeist; the will of the people.
Beyond any thirst for diatribes, no statesman worth that name, especially one currently under the umbrella of the PDP, knowing the position of the party on zoning and arrangements set out thereto, should wantonly truncate, or stand parallel to, the will of the people in that regard.
Chimezie Ogenna Nwodo, Esq., a legal practitioner, writes from Abuja.
BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF
On assumption of duty in January, 2025 , the new Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Boss and well grounded World Bank expert , Aisha Garba envisaged the need to reposition the Basic Education through interfacing with the critical stakeholders.
Amongst them is the office of the National Security Adviser , NSA, led by Malam Nuhu Ribadu whose achievements in the last few years in the area of security has become distinct and outstanding.
Therefore, seeking to cooperate and collaborate with the office became germane and needful particularly the protection of lives and properties of actors in the promotion of Basic Education ranging from the pupils , teachers , workers and facilitators to enable it drive the new wave to curb Out of School Children OOSC in the country.
Aside providing the basic security arrangements for schools , the need to engage the security apparatus at the level of National Security Adviser NSA became needful, so as to address the sophistry of security problems in the country, to nip in the bud any unforseen circumstances.
With the high rates of kidnappings, abduction , banditry, cattle rustling, ritual tendencies among many other vices, the idea of bringing on board , the security architecture of the country in all ramifications will assist the commission to consolidate the implementation of Basic Education policies and programs, also introduce new ones .
Since pupils at the Primary, Junior Secondary and Secondary Schools are prone to such ugly development and security issues , the need to be proactive on the part of the commission became timely and desiring.
This led to the success story of the bilateral interface between the management of the commission and NSA, to streamline, perfect and chart a new course on the issue of security of actors in the Basic Education.
The visit described as timely and long overdue, discussed fruitfully the way forward and the immediate and long term intervention of both agencies in the area of collaboration.
According to the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba she stated by discussing” strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing educational access and security in Nigeria. ”
She further said” the engagement focused on strategies to address challenges such as the safety of schools, particularly in vulnerable regions, and the promotion of equitable education for all children.”
“the meeting highlighted the critical intersection between education and national security and the need for collaboration between UBEC and Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), on improving access to basic education and safety of safety schools across the nation. ”
“This collaboration underscores the government’s commitment to fostering a secure and inclusive learning environment as part of its broader agenda to strengthen the nation’s educational framework,” it added.
“UBEC boss had pledged to engage critical stakeholders to break down barriers to education and create inclusive learning opportunities for children across the six geopolitical regions of the country.”
“She said: “My goal is to deliver on this mandate which includes strengthening collaboration, partnerships and institutional learning for effective service delivery. ”
“Together, we will work to increase access, improve quality, provide conducive and safe learning environments, supply adequate teaching and learning materials, and adopt the concept of ‘best fit’ in addressing specific basic education challenges, state by state and region by region”.
Highlights of the program which included the engagement of both bodies with a commitment to ensure the introduction of security architecture in schools in Nigeria is achievable.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
By Stephen Adewale
This rejoinder is a response to a column that graced the pages of the Nigerian Tribune on March 16, 2025, titled “Nasir El-Rufai and the Philosophy of Nothing.” The piece was penned by none other than Festus Adedayo, one of my cherished wordsmiths, a maestro of prose whose pen drips with both wit and wisdom.
Adedayo has long held a prime spot in my literary affections for reasons beyond mere admiration. First, we both hail from the illustrious Akure Oloyemekun, a shared heritage that makes his brilliance a source of personal pride. There is something uniquely gratifying about watching a kinsman wield the pen with such devastating elegance, weaving words as effortlessly as a bard conjuring magic. Second, in an era where original thinkers are as scarce as rain in the heart of harmattan, Adedayo stands tall as a relic of intellectual abundance. His columns have, for years, been my weekly ritual, a delectable dish of analysis served with just the right amount of audacity.
Regrettably, the unrelenting demands of academia had deprived me of Adedayo’s literary ambrosia for the past three weeks. Resolute in my quest for redemption, I consecrated my Sunday morning to devouring Adedayo’s recent columns, much like a parched wanderer stumbling upon an oasis of forbidden wisdom. And then, lo and behold, the last paragraph of the aforementioned column stopped me in my tracks. It was not just a paragraph; it was a gauntlet thrown, a provocation that demanded and commanded a response. And so, here I am, pen in hand, ready to engage.
In the preceding paragraphs, Adedayo took great pains to dissect El-Rufai’s defection to the SDP, wielding the philosophy of nothingness like a sculptor chiselling away at what he believed to be a futile political move. He argued, with the confidence of a man who has peered into the future, that El-Rufai’s new political adventure would amount to precisely nothing. Fair enough. He is entitled to his opinions, and I bear him no grudge for his gloomy prophecy. After all, time is the ultimate arbiter of political fortunes.
However, just when one thought the column was a masterclass in political critique, Adedayo took a reckless detour in the final paragraph, committing what can only be described as a literary felony. In one fell swoop, he attempted a hatchet job on the political integrity of SDP’s 2023 Presidential Candidate, Adewole Adebayo. Quoting him, he said ‘my excitement at the potentials of SDP as a viable opposition suffered a momentary halt almost immediately that same last week. Adewole Adebayo, 2023 presidential candidate…had come on an interview session on a national television. I had heard of his trumped up brilliance from journalists who earlier interviewed him.’
To begin with, Adedayo’s statement exposes one of two possibilities; either he is woefully out of touch with the political landscape or he is deliberately peddling falsehoods in service of some unseen paymaster. Or how else can one explain his audacious claim that he had never encountered Adewole Adebayo’s interviews on national television before the week in question?
Adebayo has been a towering presence in the public space since January 2022, when he declared his presidential ambition. He has graced national television countless times, dissecting policies with the precision of a seasoned statesman, not merely critiquing but offering well-reasoned alternatives. His interviews have been clipped, shared, and dissected across social media, yet Festus Adedayo, an otherwise astute columnist, would have us believe that he only stumbled upon Adebayo’s rhetoric through second hand whispers from journalist friends. The claim is as implausible as it is suspicious, making one wonder if his sudden epiphany was less of an honest discovery and more of a scripted hit job.
Then he went on to claim that ‘at that interview session, gradually, Adebayo defrosted all those superlatives with which he was robed. By the time the interview session ended, in place of a huge turkey with huge feathers I expected to encounter, I was left with a species of hen Yoruba call “Adiye opipi”. This type of hen is known by a unique characteristic of featherless wings. Adebayo came across as this and much more. I saw a man who delights in a horse ride that takes place on the back of a cockroach. When you see such politicians, your mind races to a spent canister.’
There is a Yoruba adage that warns, “Ibi tó yẹ ká tíbá ọgbọ́n, a ò gbùdó bá àgò nbẹ,” meaning that where one expects wisdom, it would be a grave disappointment to find foolishness instead. Unfortunately, this perfectly captures the bewildering blunder committed by Festus Adedayo.
One would assume that a seasoned columnist of his caliber would back his scathing critique with substance. At least a direct quote or a reference to the supposedly underwhelming statement that shattered his lofty expectations of Adewole Adebayo would suffice. Yet, in a display of either intellectual laziness or calculated deception, Adedayo offers none.
Since he conveniently avoids mentioning the specific interview that triggered his so-called disappointment, and given that Adebayo only appeared on Arise TV’s breakfast show during the week in question, it is clear that Adedayo was referring to that particular session. However, rather than provide any real context, he chose to shroud the event in ambiguity, hoping to mislead the unsuspecting public. Since he won’t do the honours, it is only right to offer a brief, unvarnished account of what truly transpired during the interview he so artfully distorted.
A few days before the said interview, Ayo of Arise TV blatantly misled viewers by falsely claiming that Adewole Adebayo had betrayed his supporters before the 2023 elections, endorsing President Tinubu and urging his followers to do the same. She went further, labelling him a politician devoid of principle.
When Adebayo finally appeared on Arise TV, he firmly set the record straight. He ran the race to the very end, never endorsed Tinubu, and never worked for the APC government, despite numerous inducements. He rightfully demanded an apology, but Ayo stood her ground. However, when the Arise TV crew presented what they called “evidence,” it backfired spectacularly, proving Adebayo right and exposing their deception. It was a textbook case of attempted character assassination gone embarrassingly wrong.
So, this was the interview that left Festus Adedayo “disappointed” in Adebayo, an interview where a man stood his ground against blatant falsehoods. When a self-proclaimed crusader of truth suddenly finds fault in someone defending himself against lies, perhaps it’s time to scrutinise the so-called champion of integrity. When a supposed high priest of truth suddenly takes issue with a man standing firm against lies, perhaps the high priest’s own altar is due for inspection.
Rather than call out Arise TV for their desperate attempt at character assassination, our esteemed “writer of truth” chose the path of deception by conveniently omitting the actual events. Instead of holding liars accountable, he doubled down, subtly trying to drag a principled man deeper into the mud. If this is what passes for truth-telling, then perhaps Festus Adedayo has been writing fiction all along.
Festus Adedayo, in his infinite journalistic wisdom, managed to compress the entire essence of a man’s political ideology, years of intellectual engagement, and national contributions into the span of one interview. A man whose intellectual sagacity had only been whispered to him in passing by his journalist friends, yet he deemed himself qualified to pass a grand verdict!
His article, ostensibly about the SDP, quickly revealed itself as something else entirely; a well-tailored hit piece, stitched together with just enough cynicism to fulfill the desires of some lurking, unnamed paymaster. He spent paragraph after paragraph dismissing the SDP as an unworthy alternative, regardless of who joined, and then, as the grand finale, he wielded his last paragraph like a dagger to stab the reputation of the very man who has kept the party afloat since 2023. If there was ever a masterclass in agenda-driven writing disguised as political analysis, Adedayo just delivered it with the precision of a seasoned mercenary.
Criticism, when wielded with sincerity, serves as a scalpel, precise, constructive, and capable of refining its subject. But when used recklessly, it becomes a sledgehammer, destructive, indiscriminate, and serving no purpose beyond ruin. At a time when Nigeria teeters on the edge of existential crises, what we need are columnists who illuminate the path forward, not those who revel in the theatrics of demolition.
This is why it is profoundly disheartening to see Festus Adedayo, once a beacon in the murky waters of Nigerian columnists, take a detour into the alley of agenda-peddling. Nigeria is not merely in need of critics; it is in need of honest critics. It is in need of voices that challenge, correct, and inspire, not those who merely regurgitate the cynicism that has already poisoned our media space.
I have always admired Festus Adedayo, but his portrayal of Adewole Adebayo is a painful reminder that even the brightest stars can flicker. To watch someone we once held as a paragon of journalistic integrity stumble into the company of the ethically compromised is not just disappointing, it is a national tragedy. If even the ‘good ones’ can abandon sincerity for sensationalism, then truly, the night is darker than we feared.
*Stephen Adewale writes from the Department of History, Obafemi Awolowo University*
BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF
Soon after his appointment in Acting capacity in November, 2024 as the new Clerk to the National Assembly CNA , Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana set the ball rolling to ensure the consolidation of professionalism and hard work in all facets of the National Assembly.
The newly appointed Clerk to the National Assembly CNA, on assumption of duty has hit the ground running by ensuring needed actions , collaborations and decisions that will not only improve workers performance on the job , but to develop new initiatives in line with the best practices is evolved.
This positive development was showcased recently during a courtesy call by members of the British Parliament member MP, our colonial masters, led by one of its members on a working visit .
The historic visit that boardered on manuals legislative drafting geared towards the improvement of lawmaking both at the British level and Nigeria came barely two months of assumption of duty as substantive Clerk to the National Assembly CNA, by Barrister Kamoru Ogunlana precisely in February.
He averred that manual legislative drafting and preparation promotes transparency, accountability and effective governance in the public domain, particularly in a sane democratic dispensation and legislative processes.
“The development of a legislative drafting manual is crucial in promoting transparency, accountability, and effective governance. It will provide a standardized framework for legislative drafting, ensuring that laws are clear, concise, and unambiguous,”
The new CNA who is grounded draftsman and a lawyer with the National Assembly over the decades promised to key into the idea of manual legislative drafting without further delay, in view of its importance to nations development, promote sane legislative policy and democracy, along with good governance.
With a promise to key into the global standards and requirements, the new CNA emphasized shared commitment and determination of both countries to democratic principles and the unwavering actions been taken to sustain the tempo.
The log standing relationship both at the democratic evolution among many others will galvanise policy framework, introduction and practice.
“As members of the British Parliament, you share a legacy of fostering governance that reflects the will of the people and champions rights and freedoms,” he said.
“We take immense pride in the path we have forged and the collaborative spirit we have nurtured with you over the decades.”
“The CNA stressed that strengthening Nigeria’s legislative framework requires drawing from global best practices, including those of the UK Parliament. He underscored the importance of the partnership in advancing governance, democracy, and human rights.”
“The visit was seen as a step toward reinforcing legislative collaboration between the two countries and enhancing the effectiveness of Nigeria’s lawmaking processes.”
Fresh on the new role as administrative head of the National Assembly,NASS, the new CNA and the determination to take the legislative arm to greater heights was shown from his commitment to initiate many policies and programs including trainings and retraining to give a new lease to staffers of the National Assembly.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.