A political scientist, Gbade Ojo, has advocated for political and fiscal restructuring as a way of addressing the current federal arrangement in Nigeria.

Professor Ojo of the Department of Political Science, University of Ilorin, stated this in an interview on Tuesday in Ibadan.

He also rejected the suggestion by Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti that Nigeria should embrace proportional representation in its political system.

Mr Ojo, a former chief of staff to former Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, said that what Nigeria needs was political and fiscal restructuring.

He said the country’s current convoluting federalism is not ideal for national integration, adding that “The problem is simply that of a structure that is defective, which has led to what is now known as federal immobilism.

“Political elites should be sincere to know that the current federal arrangement is defective and requires serious restructuring.

“The experience of the First Republic in which each region of the federation was autonomous, with a coordinated federal arrangement is what is required now, especially with the number of ethnic conglomerates that we have.

“The idea of proportional representation in this kind of a federal arrangement that is too centralised can simply not work,” the political scientist said.

Mr Fayemi, while inaugurating a road and a newly-constructed bridge in Ibadan recently, called for proportional representation in the political system.

The chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Mr Fayemi said that a practice where the winner takes all was not healthy for the country.

He said that he was looking forward to a day in Nigeria where the opposition would have representatives in government, based on their performances in an election.

(NAN)