Federal Character Has Destroyed Nigeria, Rivers APGA Candidate Alleges

The governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prince Ugo Beke yesterday lamented that the federal character principle had destroyed Nigeria, noting that the principle should not be encouraged in the interest of economic growth and development.

Beke, a merchant banker and financial consultant, also listed economy, human capital development and security as core priority areas that his administration would focus on if elected in the governorship election scheduled to hold on March 11, 2023.

He faulted the principle at a session with journalists in his Ikoyi residence yesterday, pointing out that the principle was undemocratic, unethical and antithetical to national progress and development.

The principle was enshrined in Section 14 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or any of its agencies.

However, Beke argued that the principle “has further divided Nigeria,” saying it had failed to deliver the best outcome that could guarantee unprecedented growth and development for the country.

Beke, an indigene of Ikwerre that produced the state’s last two governors, said: “Like the federal character principle, zoning is undemocratic. It cannot give the best result that can take the country to a greater height globally. It further divides Nigeria.”

According to him, if you go back to certain points in the history of Nigeria, Sir Herbert Macaulay did not think of zoning when he supported Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe to lead the National Youth Movement.