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Chief Anthony Enahoro was speaking at a rally in the commercial capital, Lagos, after flying home from the United States where he spent the past four years.
Mr Enahoro, now in his late seventies, campaigned for independence from the British in the 1950s and has played a prominent role in Nigerian politics ever since.
His return closes a sad chapter in Nigerian history. He is the leader of NADECO, the movement that opposed General Sani Abacha.
We must not fear radicalism or radical ideas. The future lies in Nigeria becoming
a union of nationalities
Chief Anthony Enahoro He was one of many prominent Nigerians to flee the country
during the mid 1990s, when General Abacha's security forces operated with virtual
impunity.
He's now 'the grand old man' of Nigerian politics, but in a passionate speech at a rally in central Lagos he gave every indication that he would return to the political fray.
Mr Enahoro said Nigerians were not enjoying true democracy despite the fact that the military are no longer in power. Above all, said Mr Enahoro, Nigeria's diverse ethnic groups are not given recognition under the present constitution, which was written by the military.
It was time, he said, to contemplate radical change where each ethnic nationality would have much more freedom.
'We must not fear radicalism or radical ideas. If you agree with my vision
of Nigeria as a nation of nationalities, then surely we must see that the future
lies in Nigeria becoming a union of nationalities.'