Constitutional reform is key to Nigeria’s survival’ — Anyaoku warns
Ladi Patrick-Okwoli,
Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, has called for urgent constitutional reform in Nigeria, warning that the country’s survival depends on adopting a new and democratic constitution.
Anyaoku, who chaired the summit, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja during a national gathering organised by The Patriots and the Nigerian Political Summit Group.
The former Secretary-General emphasized the need for a new constitution that reflects Nigeria’s diversity and is founded on democratic principles.
He argued that the 1999 Constitution lacks legitimacy, having been imposed by the military, and fails to align with the country’s multi-ethnic and plural structure.
Anyaoku stressed that only a constitution that genuinely reflects Nigeria’s diversity can effectively tackle the country’s numerous challenges.
Providing context for the summit, he noted that there are undeniable truths about Nigeria’s current reality—truths acknowledged by most citizens, except those who, in his words, “choose to live in denial.”
He described Nigeria as an inherently pluralistic nation and argued that, like other diverse societies that have achieved stability and progress, Nigeria requires a constitution crafted by elected representatives to truly reflect its complex makeup.
Anyaoku criticised the 1999 Constitution, stating that it was not the product of a democratic process but rather imposed by a military decree.
He added that the current system of governance it created is not only exclusionary but also results in excessive spending on government bureaucracy at the expense of meaningful development.
This, he said, underscores the urgent need for a new, people-driven constitution.
The former diplomat further pointed to worsening insecurity, widespread poverty, decaying infrastructure, and growing hopelessness among the youth as clear signs that the existing constitutional framework is no longer adequate for the country’s needs.
He noted that the current structure of Nigeria’s 36 federating units is clearly unable to drive the kind of national progress witnessed in the early post-independence era.
Anyaoku argued that many of the country’s pressing issues could be better addressed if Nigeria adopted a more credible and genuinely federal constitution—one crafted democratically by its citizens and reflective of the nation’s diverse makeup.
“For those who believe that a country’s destiny rests solely on its leadership, I would counter that the legal and constitutional framework shaping governance plays a major role in determining the kind of individuals who rise to positions of power across all branches of government,” he said.
He explained that the summit’s goal is to develop proposals on the fundamental components of the new constitution and the steps required to bring it into effect.
According to him, the summit would deliberate on major constitutional questions such as whether Nigeria should operate under a presidential or parliamentary system, how leadership roles should rotate, term limits, and whether to adopt a single or dual-chamber legislature.
He added that the discussions would also cover critical issues including the number and structure of federating units, distribution of powers between the central and regional governments, security architecture, political party systems, resource management, and other essential constitutional elements.
Anyaoku emphasized that, for the constitution-making process to be credible, the drafters should be individuals elected specifically by the people for that purpose.
To ensure the legitimacy of the new constitution, he concluded, it must ultimately be approved by Nigerians through a nationwide referendum.
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