The Int’l Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Nigeria’s leading researchers, investigators and advocates on democracy and good governance, human rights and rule of law and citizens’ security and safety has respectfully informed twenty-seven (27) top federal authorities and respected foreign missions in Nigeria that “the Presidency of the Southeast extraction and balancing of the country’s key federal offices are non-negotiable and inexcusably practicable in 2023”. Intersociety also stated that “the age-long “born to rule and born to be ruled” using radical sectionalism and faith practices must be put to an end and the country smoothly moved to the next level within the confines of its founded and constitutionalized multicultural and multi-religious pluralism”.
Intersociety, a globally rated voice on democracy, good governance, human rights and rule of law had on 7th March 2022 written to twenty-seven (27) key federal establishments and foreign missions, prayerfully urging them to conceptualize (as internal policy direction and international policy on Nigeria) the ‘intellectual roadmap’ for peaceful transition of top federal seats of power in Nigeria in 2023. The key seats of power under reference include offices of the President, Vice President, Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker of House of Reps, Deputy Speaker of House of Reps, Chief Justice of Nigeria, President of the Court of Appeal, Attorney General of the Federation, Solicitor General of the Federation, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Inspector General of Police, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defense Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Director General of SSS (DSS) and Director General of National Intelligence Agency. This is also inclusive of others numbering not less than 1,083 captured in the ‘Certain Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, Etc.) (Amendment) Act of 2008’
The Intersociety’s Five-Page Joint Letter was addressed to 13 Nigeria’s key federal establishments and the country’s Chairman of the APC Governors Forum/Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (Ekiti State Gov) and the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum (Sokoto State Gov). Others include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the President of the Senate and 108 other Senators through the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Speaker of House of Reps and 359 other House of Reps Members through the Clerk of the National Assembly, Chairman of the National Judicial Council, Chairman of the Federal Character (Geopolitical & Ethno-Religious Equity Commission), Chief of Defense Staff, Minister of Defense and that of Foreign Affairs; Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The letter was copied to the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The twelve recipient key foreign missions are the Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, US Ambassador to Nigeria, Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Mexican Ambassador to Nigeria, Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, South Korean Ambassador to Nigeria and Martin Ejidike, PhD, who is the Chief of Office in the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Prevent at UN Headquarters, New York, USA. The Joint Letter was successfully delivered by our lawyers to all its recipients on 4th, 8th and 9th of March 2022 with all the stamped or signed acknowledgement copies obtained.
The Joint Letter was Intersociety’s intellectual contribution for peaceful transition of seats of power in Nigeria in 2023 and a working document aimed at ending the decades long ‘born to rule and born to be ruled’ in the country. The Joint Letter also sought to end “winners take all” and allayed fears of the other ethno-religious components regarding the possibility of feeling being ‘lost out’ or segregated or excluded on account of ascendance to the Presidential Seat of Power by another Ethnic Nationality or Geopolitical Zone (i.e. Southeast Geopolitical Zone). The Letter was also aimed at safeguarding the life of the country’s next President and preventing him/her from emerging as “a lonely or stranger President” or “President surrounded by zealots or extremists from ethno-religiously radicalized geopolitical zone or zones” especially conservative advocates of “born to rule and born to be ruled”. Finally, our Joint Letter sought to strengthen the spirit and letters of the country’s Constitution regarding its multicultural and religious democratic pluralism.
Ethno-Religious Balancing Of 18 Top Federal Public Offices And Others In 2023
For purpose of ensuring geopolitical, ethnic and religious balancing in 2023, the following eighteen top elective and appointive federal offices shall be shared as follows: Southeast Region-President of Nigeria (Christian/non Muslim), Northeast-Vice President (Muslim), North-Central-Senate President (Christian/non Muslim), Southwest-Speaker House of Reps (Muslim/Christian), South-South-Deputy Senate President (Christian/non Muslim), Northwest-Deputy Speaker of House of Reps (Muslim). From the angle of Security/Service Chiefs: Southeast-Inspector General of Police (Christian/non Muslim), Northeast-Chief of Defense Staff (Muslim), North-Central-Chief of Army Staff (Christian/non Muslim), Southwest-Director General of State Security Services (Muslim), South-South-Chief of Naval Chief (Christian/non Muslim) and Northwest-Chief of Air Staff (Muslim). From the angle of top judicial officers: Southeast-Chief Justice of Nigeria (Christian/non Muslim), Northeast-Attorney General of the Federation (Muslim), North-Central-President of the Court of Appeal (Muslim), Southwest-Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (Christian/non Muslim), South-South-Solicitor General of the Federation (Christian/non Muslim) and Northwest-Chief Judge of the FCT High Court (Muslim).
On the same note, all the top executive offices/bodies listed under Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution as well as other top federal agencies and parastatals and officer corps of the Armed Forces and their equivalents in the Nigeria Police Force, SSS, NIA and Paramilitaries shall be shared in full compliance with the country’s multicultural, ethnic and religious compositions using the six geopolitical zonal or regional arrangements. In the country’s security and defense establishments, for instance, there are no fewer than 1300 top police officers including one IGP, eight DIGs, 30 AIGs, 100 CPs, 280 DCPs, 550 ACPs and 960 CSPs. In the Army, not less than 1000 commissioned Army Officers abound with similar numbers likely the case in the Navy and Air Force as well as the Service (Intelligence) and the Paramilitary Agencies. It is the insistence of Intersociety that all the promotions and postings involving all their officer corps must reflect structural/geopolitical and ethno-religious balancing in line with Constitutional Sections 14 (3) (geopolitical balancing), 15 (4) (sense of belonging in federal office appointments), 17 (freedom, equality and justice), 42 (freedom from structural and personality discrimination during appointments), 217 (3) (composition of the officer corps and other ranks of the Armed Forces of the Federation must reflect federal character or geopolitical balancing) and 10 (Government of the Federation or a State must not adopt any religion as State Religion).
