Why Yoruba Should Stop Advocating For Regional Govt: Obafemi Hamzat
- Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat said constitutional barriers make it nearly impossible for Nigeria to return to regionalism
- Hamzat spoke at a centennial birthday lecture in Lagos held in honour of Afenifere leader Reuben Fasoranti, who turned 100
- The APC governorship candidate proposed a different path for South-West development involving joint budget planning among governors
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Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for 2027, Obafemi Hamzat, has argued that the Nigerian constitution makes it nearly impossible for the country to return to regional government.
Hamzat made the remarks on Friday at a centennial birthday lecture held in Lagos in honour of Afenifere leader, Reuben Fasoranti, who turned 100 on May 11, 2026. The event was titled "Centennial Birthday Lecture: A Century of Courage and Stewardship of Yoruba Democratic Legacy." Hamzat attended in his capacity as chief host, representing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Source: Twitter
Nigeria operated under a regional system of government between 1954 and 1966 before it was abolished.
Why regionalism Is off the table
Hamzat said the South-West's representation in the National Assembly was too small to push through a constitutional change of that scale, particularly when weighed against the number of lawmakers from the North-West alone. He argued that the numbers simply did not favour such an amendment, making any campaign for a return to regionalism impractical under the current legislative structure.
What Hamzat thinks the South-West should do instead
Rather than pursuing regionalism, Hamzat urged the six South-West governors to take a more practical route by coordinating and harmonising their state budgets. He said this kind of fiscal alignment would allow the region's states to develop at a similar pace and fund shared infrastructure across state borders.
He pointed to rail connectivity as a key example of what inter-state collaboration could deliver. Citing the Red Line rail project, which connects Oyingbo in Lagos to Ijoko in Ogun State, he called for a broader rail network to be extended to other South-West states, including Ekiti.
Hamzat also encouraged the region to strengthen existing platforms already designed for collective growth, specifically the South West Development Commission and the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN), which he said were underutilised but had real potential to drive regional progress.
See the video of Hamzat on X here:
Obanikoro emerges as Hamzat's campaign DG
Legit.ng earlier reported that APC governorship candidate and deputy governor in Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, has appointed former Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as the DG of his campaign organisation.
Sources privy to the development disclosed that the appointment of Obanikoro was earlier approved by President Bola Tinubu before it became public.
It was also reported that all the members of the campaign council did not question the appointment of the two-term minister.
Source: Legit.ng
