Election petitions wasted Tinubu’s first seven months — PDP Spokesman,Debo Ologunagba spills

Debo Ologunagba, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has proposed a crucial revision to Nigeria’s constitution concerning the swearing-in process for newly-elected presidents.

In an interview with Punch on Wednesday, Debo Ologunagba proposed a potential improvement to the process of inaugurating a president-elect. He suggested that it may be beneficial to delay the official swearing-in ceremony until all election-related petitions have been conclusively resolved by the court.

According to Ologunagba, President Bola Tinubu’s administration faced significant distractions during its first seven months due to ongoing election petition hearings. This proposal is being presented as a way to address and improve upon those challenges.

He argues that these distractions have greatly hindered the government’s ability to prioritize governance, which has played a role in the current economic turmoil experienced nationwide.

Ologunagba highlighted the numerous challenges that Nigeria is currently facing, such as a significant increase in kidnappings for ransom, heightened activities by non-state actors, and the escalating cost of food. These pressing issues demand the government’s immediate and undivided attention.

He made a case for the proposed constitutional amendment, highlighting how it would give a newly-elected president a stronger mandate and the ability to immediately tackle pressing national issues.

Commenting on the state of the nation, the PDP spokesman said, “I understand the National Assembly is discussing constitutional reforms, and as a party, we are organising ourselves. One of the issues we will seek to amend is the electoral law. We will advocate that elected officials be sworn in only after the conclusion of all legal battles.

“There is hardship and insecurity because the government was not active. During the first seven months of this administration, we were in court, so the government did not function; it was preoccupied with protecting itself. Consequently, in a four-year tenure, we lost nine months to litigation.

“Additionally, we need to address true federalism. Why should local governments be enshrined in the constitution? This fosters incompetence, favoritism, and complacency. For example, Kano State has 44 local governments, Lagos State has 20, and Katsina has 34. These disparities contribute to the injustices in our country, necessitating restructuring.

“Now is the opportune moment to restructure the country. Restructuring has always been the stance of the PDP. We discussed restructuring when we were in power but didn’t take concrete steps to implement it. If initiated now, it could help alleviate some of the current national challenges.”

He said restructuring should no longer be mere rhetoric but instead be taken seriously.

Ologunagba said, “Even our presidential candidate had a document on restructuring. Since the 2014 Conference under former President Goodluck Jonathan, we’ve been advocating restructuring. However, the same individuals in the All Progressives Congress opposed it.

“We initiated it because our country is diverse — linguistically, religiously, and ethnically. The only way to progress and tackle these challenges is through restructuring. It will instill a sense of ownership and belonging across all sectors.”