The fifth annual lecture of the Freedom Online, an online newspaper, has elicited basic expectations of Nigerians from their elected leaders between now and 2027. Top on the list is good governance that would make living more comfortable, respect for the rule of law and return to true federalism.

It was a gathering that brought together big wings in the Nigerian political landscape and prominent media practitioners across the country. The event, held at the Sheraton Hotel in Lagos, and featured distinguished speakers such as the governors of Bayelsa and Imo states, as well as the former deputy chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olubode George, who shared their perspectives on the topic “2023-2027: Nigerians, Elected Leaders, And Expectations.”

Welcoming his guests in an opening remarks, Mr Gabriel Akinadewo, managing director and editor-in-chief of Freedom Online, stated that this year’s edition of the annual lecture coincided with the post-2023 elections and charged the government on the demands of Nigerians in the next four years.

For him, the government must restructure the country’s governing system by decentralizing power from the federal to state and local levels. He added that the expectation of the citizens from the government is to solve local problems with decentralization of power to make government more accessible to the citizens.

“Our task here is simple, what do Nigerians want between now and 2027 when other presidential elections will be conducted? This democratic journey started in 1999, and 24 years later; can we rightly say that Nigerians are satisfied with the state of affairs today?

“In essence, what should elected leaders do to have the trust of Nigerians between now and 2027? When do we draw a line between politics and governance? The expectations of Nigerians between now and 2027 are very clear and simple; we can not do the same thing over and over again and expect different results.

“If centralisation of government is a product of the military because of the chain of command, the military has been out of government since 1999 so what is stopping the civilian authority from decentralising governance today?

“The constitution should be reworked in such a way as to make the centre unattractive. For example, Nigeria can feed the world with agriculture, but that can only be done at the state and council levels because all farmers belong to the two tiers of government; there are federal farmers in Nigeria. Obviously, Nigeria’s problems are localized, so the federal government cannot be using a central method to tackle local challenges”, he said.

In his Keynote speech, the governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, represented by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabara, acknowledged the role of the media in the promotion of a good democratic government by ensuring that leaders are accountable to the people with their campaign promises.

He also stated that looking at the expectations of the citizens from the government elected into power involves an interrogation of the intentions of the public office holders for better governance and transparent leadership. “I feel it is more important for the media to continue to instigate more of this kind of conversation so that the leaders will be more accountable to their voters.

“I find it to be this year’s lecture, notwithstanding that it is framed as it is, yet offers the same prisms to interrogate the intentions and capacities of the politicians in the Nigerian democratic in the Nigeria critical four years”, he said.

The governor also condemned the refusal of the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to pay taxes to the states where they are extracting crude oil. He explained that the federal government had mandated the oil companies to relocate their headquarters, which are not located in the southern regions, the oil-producing states.

He also stated that the policy is detrimental to his state’s internal revenue, indicating that despite the gas flaring by these companies, which is affecting agricultural growth in Bayelsa state, there is insufficient compensation for the people. “We have oil companies in Bayelsa who have refused to pay taxes, thereby hurting the state’s strength to generate enough revenue to cater for the needs of the people,” he said.

“There are loopholes in the tax regime which impact our internally generated revenue negatively. The existential threat that concerns the people of Bayelsa State is real and urgent. In contemplating the abundance of prospects that Nigeria’s economy can enjoy from oil and gas exploration, care should be taken to protect the environment of the Niger Delta and preserve the lives and livelihoods of its people.

“We launched a report of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission, which highlighted the unfriendly practices by all operators. This report made far-reaching recommendations on measures to address the environmental terrorism that Bayelsa has suffered since 1956.”

Governor Hope Uzodimma, of Imo state, represented by the state commissioner of information, Mr. Declan Emelumba, explained that leaders in the country are divided into elected and appointed personalities in the government. He also emphasized that the legitimacy of leadership is vested in citizens through elections, unhindered citizen participation in politics, and the supremacy of the rule of law.

Harping his thoughts on Nigerians’ expectation from the government, Mr Uzodimma identified good governance as the collective desire of every citizen regardless of their tribes and cultural diversity.

He stated that despite language differences among Nigerians, “the good news is that in the face of these communication challenges, there is a common language that Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or tongue or religion, do understand perfectly. That language is good governance. All Nigerians know that when good governance is in place, poverty, unemployment, and insecurity will take flight. In their place will be an economic boom, abundant empowerment opportunities, good health care delivery, good quality and affordable education, abundant infrastructure provisions and the security of lives and property.

“ With these, Nigerians would boast of an improved quality of life and a higher average life expectancy. This is a common language that does not need to be spoken yet can be heard clearly. Once Nigerians see these, they will know that the country is working and that their expectations are being met. So, what Nigerians expect is for the country to work. That is what they need and that is what they desire.

“This makes our task very easy. All we need to do is list those things that make up good governance, those things that will make the country work, and we have the expectations of Nigerians from elected leaders for the period 2023 to 2027. As I said earlier, these expectations are not far-fetched,”, he said.

In the same vein, Chief Olabode George, the former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, demanded the decentralisation of power in the country, stating that the country must find a working system rather than replicating the American constitution.

Admitting that the 1999 constitution is still military-oriented, he charged the government to consider the constitution review reports that support the call for state policing and the autonomy of state and local government. “Having served that long in the military, I can authoritatively confirm to you that the Nigerian constitution is absolutely military in nature. In the military, orders come from top to bottom.

“But in a democratic dispensation, powers come from the people to the top. But we have copied the American constitution, and that’s why things are not working. We must be deceiving ourselves if we think that this constitution will take us to the promised land.

“Policing is community-based, how can you have just one man sitting in Abuja sending DPOs to your local governments? How can it work? We need to have even local government police if they can afford it because if the police are somebody in your area, they will know a stranger when they see them”, he said.

In his remarks, Chief Tola Adeniyi, the former Managing Director of Daily Times, voiced his displeasure with Nigerian politicians and accused them of pushing the nation backward. He submitted that in order to achieve law and order, economic growth, and the eradication of insecurity issues in the nation, citizens must explicitly demand the provision for state policing and good governance.