In a growing wave of contention, leaders from the Northern and Southern parts of the country have disagreed over whether there should be a new constitution or an amendment to the current one, the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
This highlights deep-seated divisions and differing visions on the best pathway to the nation’s future.
The socio-cultural groups involved in the heated constitution debate are the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Middle Belt Forum, and PANDEF.
While the groups in the middle belt and southern Nigeria want a brand new set of laws to be drafted up, the northern group wants any new laws to be effected by the present National Assembly.
PANDEF
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has said it is in support of the holistic amendment of the 1999 Constitution of the country, insisting that the present constitution has significant flaws.
PANDEF national publicity secretary, Dr Ken Robinson, who disclosed this in a chat with LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt, said apart from having significant flaws, the 1999 Constitution was imposed on Nigerians by the military.
Robinson stated that a new constitution must address structural imbalances and ensure equity, fairness, and justice for the country to move forward.
He further stated that the current constitution, as amended, undermined true federalism by concentrating power and resources at the centre, which has hindered development and stability.
Describing the Niger Delta region as the biggest victim of the federal system of government in the country, the PANDEF spokesman said the 1999 Constitution distorted the provisions of revenue sharing between the central government and federating units.
Robinson said, “PANDEF supports the holistic amendment of the 1999 Constitution because the present Constitution has significant flaws. It was imposed by the military and is seen as a fundamental part of the nation’s problems. To move forward, we need a new constitution to address the structural imbalances and ensure equity, fairness, and justice.”
Middle Belt
In its reaction, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), through the national president, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, said amending the current constitution is cumbersome and would not take the country anywhere.
Dr Pogu argued that the last People’s Democratic Constitution was that 1963, which was different from the military constitution 1999, as amended.
“So, we subscribe to the emergence of a People’s Democratic Constitution through constitutional assembly or conference, which is taken from the 1963 constitution, and bring it to the current realities that address our plurality in the country,” he added.
Ohanaeze Seeks New Construction
On his part, the apex Igbo social-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has advocated a new constitution with six Federating Units.
The national publicity secretary of Ohanaeze, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP in Enugu.
He suggested that the six geopolitical zones form six federating units, each with authority over its revenue and expenditure profiles.
He pointed out that the six units should also have authority over the mineral resources within their jurisdictions.
Ogbonnia noted that federalism was the appropriate way to govern a country with diverse ethnicities like Nigeria.
Afenifere
Like PANDEF and Ohanaeze, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation (Afenifere) has also insisted on restructuring the country through a new or amended constitution.
Speaking in a telephone interview with LEADERSHIP, the national publicity secretary, Jare Ajayi, maintained that Afenifere has been a longtime proponent of restructuring the country.
Ajayi noted that there is no confusion about what the group wants from the federal government and said that restructuring could be affected by amending the existing constitution or otherwise.
He states, “If the new constitution is contemplated, the result will be to have a true federation whereby constituent bodies in the country will have control over their affairs so that Nigerians can enjoy federalism in the true sense of it.”
Arewa Consultative Forum
For the apex socio-cultural organisation in the North, the federal parliament should implement any changes to the constitution.
According to Professor T.A. Muhammad Baba, the national publicity secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the Forum had already discussed and reached a position on the proposed constitutional amendment to the Nigerian constitution.
“We have submitted a comprehensive report through the national assembly on all the significant issues such as power sharing, state police, good governance, and so on. All have been comprehensively addressed and sent to the national assembly, in short, the ACF started from the preamble that it is not so much what constitution you have on the ground that is the problem, but the major issue is whether those who operate the constitution live by the tenets of the provisions in the constitution,” he said.
Patriots Insist On Federal Constitution
A nonpartisan group of eminent Nigerians known as the Patriots has reiterated the need for a people-centred federal constitution in Nigeria.
The chairman of the Patriots, Emeka Anyaoku, who stated this at a hybrid event yesterday in Lagos, added that a new democratic constitution is needed to tackle the knotty issues of a pluralistic country like Nigeria.
Anyaoku stated that pluralistic countries exist when they have tackled issues threatening their co-existence and have a constitution for the people.
The octogenarian who witnessed the inauguration of a committee to process the federal constitution stated, “Nigeria needs a federal constitution that tackles all the challenges we are having like insecurity, banditry, kidnapping and others faced by the people. Nigeria, as a pluralistic country, needs this constitution to prevent it from disintegrating like other nations with diverse attributes of a pluralistic state and later disintegrating, countries like Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Sudan.”
Meanwhile, a 17-member committee led by Prof. Anthony Kila was inaugurated. According to the general secretary of the Patriots, Olawale Okunniyi, the Committee will engage significant stakeholders and public members across the country on what the people’s constitution entails and its benefits.
Yoruba Youth Group Says Present Constitution Perfect
The Yoruba Youth Socio-Cultural Association (YYSA) has warned that the agitation for creating a new constitution is much ado about nothing.
Speaking with our correspondent in Ibadan, the association’s national president, Olalekan Hammed, said the present constitution was perfect but amending it to suit “our purpose is not a bad idea”.
Hammed noted that the constitution issue had been continuously debated in Nigeria before 1999.
“If another constitution is created today, people will still find fault with it. There are several agitations from ethnic nationalities that have to do with the constitution.”
