Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, has urged President Bola Tinubu to implement a people-centered constitution for Nigeria. Speaking during a live television program on Sunday, Ozekhome emphasized the necessity of drafting a new constitution that truly reflects the will of the Nigerian people.
He highlighted that the existing 1999 Constitution, imposed by the military, lacks legitimacy as it was never subjected to a referendum, making it inadequate for addressing the country’s deep-rooted issues.
Ozekhome, who is also a member of The Patriots, a respected group led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku recently met with President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja. During the discussion, he argued that a new constitution is vital to tackling Nigeria’s significant challenges, including poverty, insecurity, and corruption. Ozekhome urged the President to exhibit the political will to push through constitutional reforms, stating, “He (Tinubu) should have the political will because these problems won’t disappear until we confront them head-on.”
The lawyer further criticized the current constitutional framework, comparing it to a faulty car engine that requires complete replacement rather than mere repairs. He stressed that for Nigeria to achieve true nationhood and unity, it is imperative to create an indigenous and people-centric constitution.
Ozekhome insisted that any new constitution must be put to a referendum, allowing Nigerians to have a direct say in the foundational laws that govern their country.
When asked if a new constitution was an antidote to poverty, insecurity, and other challenges confronting the Nigerian state, Ozekhome said: “It is. The killings you are seeing, the poverty, the corruption, they are all symptoms of a larger problem which is the basis of what we are talking about. When you solve it, other things will be in place.”
