Legitimacy Before Reform: A Principle That Must Apply To All–A response To Cllr Taslim Gbaja-Biamila

I have read with interest Cllr Taslim Gbaja-Biamila’s article, “Legitimacy Before Reform: The Rule of Law Must Prevail”. On its central point, I agree with him.He is right that NIDO’s difficulty is, at its root, a crisis of legitimacy.

He is right that authority must exist before negotiation begins, not emerge from it. And he is right that anyone claiming to speak for NIDO, at any level, should be able to show a valid mandate, a recognised process by which they emerged, and proper authority to act. No reform effort can succeed while the question of who is in charge remains unsettled. On this, there should be no disagreement.

But a principle is only as strong as the consistency with which it is applied. If legitimacy must come first, it must come first for everyone, including those who raise the question.

The questions must be answered by all

Respectfully, the author’s own standing deserves the same scrutiny he asks of others. How did he come to hold the office of Chairman of NIDO UK Chapter? Was he elected through a recognised democratic process within an established NIDO structure, or did that structure come into being after a split from an existing one? Who elected or appointed him, when, and under which constitutional provision? These are the very questions his article says must be answered first, and the diaspora would welcome his answers.

Companies House is a fair place to start. It is open to all, and readers can see for themselves when the various NIDO entities in the United Kingdom were registered, who their officers are, and what activity they have reported.

On NIDO Worldwide: a matter of history, not convenience

The article also questions the standing of NIDO Worldwide. A little history may help here, because history is too easily forgotten when forgetting is politically convenient.

NIDO Worldwide is the coordinating body of NIDO’s Continental Chairs. It allows them to work together on a common front, as one entity, and to drive collaboration across continents. It is not a new invention. It has operated as an established practice for more than a decade, with successive Continental Chairmen of NIDO taking on the coordinating role in turn.

Two recent examples, both of which I took part in personally, show how it works.

About three years ago, during Diaspora Week, NIDO delivered an ICT programme under the umbrella of NIDO Worldwide. It trained thousands of university students in Jos, Abuja, Abeokuta and other cities as part of our homeland development work. Dr Victor Ubani, then Chairman of NIDO Americas, served as Coordinating Chairman of NIDO Worldwide and oversaw delivery. I helped bring together resource persons from among our members around the world to develop the curriculum and deliver the courses.

In 2023, Dr Bashir Obasekola, then Chairman of NIDO Europe, served as Coordinating Chairman of NIDO Worldwide. He led the project through which NIDO deployed INEC-accredited observers for the presidential election.

These are only the most recent examples I can speak to first-hand. Long before them, other Continental Chairmen held the same role on a rotational basis, and the office holder has always been known as the Coordinating Chairman. This is established protocol, not a recent creation.

A useful comparison is the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. No clause of the Nigerian Constitution creates it, yet it is a respected and influential platform through which our governors speak with one voice on matters of common interest. Its authority comes from the collective will of its members. NIDO Worldwide rests on the same principle. Its strength lies in the unity of the Continental Chairs who make it up.

It is also worth noting that Mr Harold Ogunfemi, who presents himself as the leader of a faction of NIDO Europe, has on several occasions sought to be part of NIDO Worldwide. A body whose legitimacy was not in question then cannot fairly be called illegitimate now simply because the current argument requires it.

A shared standard, a shared future

The rule of law the author rightly calls for is not a weapon to be pointed at others. It is a standard we must all meet. Commentary that questions others’ mandates while leaving one’s own unexamined may draw attention, but it adds little to the substance of the debate or to the healing NIDO needs.

If we are honest about our history, consistent in applying our principles, and willing to settle our internal differences as one NIDO family, no external body will need to take a position on our affairs. That is the legitimacy worth building.