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By Lukman Olabiyi
Participants at the 26th edition of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) June 12 Lecture, have renewed calls for the restructuring of Nigeria and the establishment of state and local government police, describing them as critical measures for tackling the country’s worsening security crisis.
The event, held at the Excellence Hotel and Conference Centre, Ogba, Lagos, marked the 33rd anniversary of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election and was themed, “June 12 in Perspective: Confronting the Existential Threat of Insecurity.”
Speakers at the gathering, including the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland and National Coordinator of the OPC, Gani Adams, human rights activist Joe Okei-Odumakin, and a Professor of Environmental Microbiology at Lagos State University, Femi Obayori, argued that the ideals of June 12 remain relevant to addressing Nigeria’s political, governance and security challenges.
Adams described the June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely believed to have been won by Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, as a watershed in Nigeria’s democratic history, noting that its annulment exposed the fragility of democratic institutions while inspiring a sustained struggle for justice, democracy and national unity.
“June 12 has evolved beyond a mere date; it has become a symbol of resilience, hope and the unyielding quest for democratic governance,” he said.
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According to him, the June 12 mandate represented a broader struggle for true federalism, equity and national cohesion.
He recalled that Abiola had advocated a Sovereign National Conference aimed at restructuring the country and argued that Nigeria’s highly centralised federal system had fuelled feelings of marginalisation and hindered balanced development.
The OPC leader noted that growing insecurity had weakened public confidence in government institutions, discouraged investments and disrupted economic activities nationwide.
Also speaking, Okei-Odumakin stressed the need for urgent security and electoral reforms, warning that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity threatens the country’s survival and democratic future.
She described the nation as “bleeding under the heavyweight of insecurity” and urged the authorities to strengthen the country’s security architecture to effectively combat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
In his keynote address, Obayori described insecurity as the most serious challenge confronting Nigeria, warning that it poses a direct threat to democracy, national unity and territorial integrity.
