Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has said a brand constitution for the country is not tenable, describing the calls for same as unrealistic.
He said what Nigerians could hope for is a review of the 1999 Constitution in order to address emerging issues in the polity.
He spoke at the fifth edition of The Osasu Show Symposium 2021 in Abuja.
Bello said a total abrogation of the 1999 Constitution is not realistic at this time, explaining that
there will always be foundational issues with most constitutions, which are subject to review when the need arises.
He said, “The constitution of Nigerian 1999 was enacted on 29th May 1999 by military decree 24 inaugurating the Nigerian fourth republic and restoring democratic rule.
“I believe the lack of direct origins in the people or some of their representatives is why some citizens and some sections of civil society insist that none of the previous constitutions of Nigeria qualifies to be called a people’s constitution.
“They advocate the total abrogation of the present one while calling for a process that will midwife the emergence of a new constitution which they claim will be the loadstone for a more egalitarian Nigerian society driven by the rule of law.
“I understand their arguments. And how I wish I could buy into their optimism. Sadly, given our socio-political realities as a nation, I think calls to dump the present constitution wholesale and make a new one from scratch are not very realistic at this time.”
