I have been saying this for over a decade: the presidential system of government is not working for Nigeria—it has never worked, and it may never work. We must return to a regional system of government and reignite the healthy competition that once defined the early days of our independence.
Two things are likely to happen sooner than we expect.
First, a brutal regional war—fueled by anger, distrust, and long-standing injustice—could erupt and last for more than a decade, tearing the nation apart violently.
Or second, we may come to a place of mutual respect for our differences and embrace true federalism based on regional autonomy.
No single person can successfully rule this country—not with the current structure, not with the broken institutions we call governance. We do not have a disciplined civil service, one that can instill integrity into the heart of politics. Instead, we have a system where mediocrity is rewarded, and excellence is mocked.
Have you heard how much was looted from the NNPC and the Central Bank over the past 10 years? The numbers are terrifying—billions of dollars stolen, not lost, but stolen by men who walk free, hailed as “leaders” in their hometowns. If you’re still hopeful under this current setup, it’s either you’re unaware, complicit, or comfortably numb.
Forget the politicians and their tribal dog whistles. The enemies are not your neighbors—they are the elite who use tribalism as a smokescreen while they empty the nation’s vaults. Until we sit down as Nigerians and tell ourselves the truth, we will keep dancing in circles on a land soaked with unfulfilled potential.
We simply do not have the moral structure to run a successful presidential government. From the villages to the capital, corruption has become culture, and impunity is now a badge of honor. Nigeria’s Messiah is not yet born—believe it or not, we are still searching in the dark.
Let me take you back to when things made sense. During the First Republic, when regional governments were in place, each region developed at its own pace. The West had free education, the East was an industrial hub, and the North had solid agricultural policy. Leaders were accountable to their people—not to a distant, bloated federal government in Abuja.
Compare that to now: governors run to Abuja with begging bowls, waiting for monthly allocation like children asking for lunch money. That is not federalism. That is organized dependency. And it’s killing innovation, responsibility, and local pride.
It’s my opinion—you’re free to disagree. But history is on the side of truth. If we do not restructure this nation and return to regionalism, we are simply postponing the inevitable collapse.
Let us go back to regional government—not just to save Nigeria, but to give her a fighting chance at survival. A chance to dream again. A chance to heal. A chance to rebuild what decades of poor leadership and systemic rot have destroyed.
Ire o.
Mogaji Wole Arisekola writes from Ibadan.
