Former NBA President Wole Olanipekun has urged the National Assembly to halt constitutional amendments and pursue a new, people-driven constitution through a national referendum.
A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), has urged the National Assembly to suspend all ongoing constitutional amendments and instead initiate steps toward drafting a new constitution through a national referendum.
Speaking on Monday at the 13th Convocation Lecture of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, titled “Nigeria yesterday, today and tomorrow: Imperative of a sober and definitive recalibration,” Olanipekun described the 1999 Constitution as a “military albatross” that no longer reflects the people’s will.
He said, “The National Assembly should, for the time being, stay action on the ongoing amendment or any further amendment to the 1999 Constitution. This constitution needs a new rebranding, a complete overhaul, a substitution altogether.”
The legal luminary recommended a transitional period until 2031 to harmonise past constitutional conference reports ahead of a new, people-driven charter. He also canvassed a national referendum to determine Nigeria’s governance framework, saying sovereignty resides in the people.
Olanipekun further decried frequent political defections, urging ideological consistency among politicians. He commended President Bola Tinubu’s steadfastness in maintaining his political alignment since 1999.