Religious Pluralism and Political Restructuring: A Way Out of Socio-Political Quagmire in Nigeria

Abstract

This study advocates for religious pluralism and political restructuring as a necessary condition to resolve unnecessary tension that spells doom for Nigeria. This advocacy is necessitated by the fact that at Independence in 1960, Nigeria was established on the pillar of quasi-federalism, which allowed for regional self-reliance and freedom of worship. However, six years later, it drifted into unitary governance. Since then, there has been a remarkable backwardness in all spheres of Nigeria’s national life and an abundant increase in corruption. Moreover, its secularity was compromised by the trickery engraftation of Sharia legal order in the 1999 Constitution. This development ignited distrust and sectarian violence, in the country. Hence, the agitations by groups and individuals for Nigeria’s restructuring. A Historical approach was adopted, basically depending on secondary data. It observed that Nigeria’s system of governance falls short of true federalism. It recommends devolution of power from the centre to the states.