African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain in Lagos State, Chief Dr. Mobolaji Ogbamola, has argued that Nigeria’s problems cannot be resolved simply by replacing one president with another, calling for fundamental changes to the country’s constitutional and governance structure.
Mr Ogbamola spoke during Voice of the People Media (VOP 90.3FM and VOPTV) political debate, “Who Will Fix Nigeria? On Thursday, where he criticised the political class for placing personal ambitions ahead of national development.
He argued that Nigeria’s highly centralised governance structure limits the ability of states and institutions to respond effectively to the country’s economic and developmental challenges.
Ogbamola faults political class over personal interests
Mr Akingbola said Nigeria’s political leadership had repeatedly prioritised individual political interests over broader national development.
“Our political leadership across the board has consistently put personal ambition above national development.”
He argued that changing the occupant of the presidency without changing the system of governance would not necessarily produce a different outcome.
“You cannot expect a centralized, broken governance structure to yield prosperity no matter who sits in Aso Rock—we must stop chasing individual political messiahs and fundamentally restructure how power is managed.”
His argument placed institutional reform, rather than individual political personalities, at the centre of his proposed solution.
ADC chieftain rejects politics of ‘messiahs’
Mr Ogbamola also criticised what he described as Nigeria’s tendency to place excessive expectations on individual politicians.
He argued that political movements built largely around personalities risk diverting attention from concrete programmes for constitutional reform, economic management and institutional development.
The ADC chieftain said Nigerians should demand clearly defined and measurable plans from political candidates, particularly on how they intend to restructure governance and distribute political and economic responsibilities.
He argued that the country should move away from the expectation that a single political figure can solve its structural problems.
Ogbamola criticises President Tinubu’s policy implementation
The ADC chieftain also criticised the manner in which major economic policies have been implemented under the Tinubu administration.
He pointed specifically to the removal of fuel subsidy and other major policy changes, arguing that policies announced without adequate consultation, economic modelling or safety nets could place significant pressure on businesses and households.
According to Mr Ogbamola, the consequences are particularly visible among small businesses and middle-class households in commercial centres such as Lagos.
His criticism focused not only on the objectives of government policies but on the speed, preparation and mechanisms used to implement them.
Calls for restructuring and greater state autonomy
A central part of Mr Ogbamola’s position was the need to restructure Nigeria’s governance system.
He argued that the concentration of political and economic power at the centre has weakened the capacity of states to independently address their developmental challenges.
For him, constitutional restructuring should address how power and resources are allocated between the Federal Government, states and other levels of government.
He maintained that meaningful economic development would require institutions capable of responding to local conditions rather than relying excessively on decisions from the centre.
ADC position focuses on institutions, not personalities
Mr Ogbamola’s intervention distinguished the ADC’s argument from approaches centred primarily on individual presidential candidates.
He argued that political change should be accompanied by institutional decentralization, stronger accountability and fiscal discipline.
He also called for candidates seeking office in 2027 to commit themselves to clear restructuring blueprints before asking Nigerians for their votes.
The argument, he said, is that elections can change political office holders, but without structural reforms, the underlying weaknesses in governance could remain.
His position formed part of a wider debate in which the speakers offered substantially different explanations for Nigeria’s challenges.
While the NDC representative, Zekeri Idris, focused heavily on subsidy policy, public accountability and economic intervention, African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Ogbamola argued for a broader working-class-led systemic transformation.
Mr Ogbamola, meanwhile, placed constitutional restructuring, decentralization and institutional reform at the centre of the discussion.
Together, the interventions highlighted three different approaches to the question posed by the VOP Media Town Hall debate: whether Nigeria’s problems can be addressed through different economic policies, a broader political reset, or fundamental changes to the structure of governance.
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