Constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome, has said that repeated amendments to Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution will not be able to address the country’s foundational issues, describing the document as a “curse” to national development.
Ozekhome stated that only a brand-new, people-oriented constitution can rescue Nigeria from its political, economic, and security crises.
“What we need is a brand-new constitution that is people-driven. You can’t amend a bad document. A document that is already afflicted with an ailment cannot be amended.
“If you have a problem in your house — the building is cracking — how do you solve it? Some people say, ‘Let’s amend the present constitution.’ Amendment, one million times, cannot solve the problem,” he said on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday.
The legal don argued that the current constitution, handed down by the military in 1999, was not created by the people and has continued to promote over-centralisation of power in Abuja, crippling regional growth and autonomy.
“It was imposed on us by a military government. We need a people’s constitution that truly reflects our wishes,” he insisted, adding that “As it is, the constitution is a curse to Nigerian development. No state is producing; every state is relying on Abuja. Abuja has become too centralised and powerful — that is why everybody goes there.”
The constitutional lawyer criticised the existing presidential system modelled after the United States, describing it as “too costly” and “unsustainable.”
“We use about 70 to 80 per cent of our national budget for recurrent expenditure and debt servicing, leaving only 20 to 30 per cent for capital projects. That cannot lead us anywhere.
“A parliamentary system is less expensive but more effective. Under that system, it is the political party that campaigns, not individuals needing trillions in 2027 to contest as president or governor,” he said.
Push For New Constitution
The senior lawyer advocated for a return to the parliamentary system practised before 1966, with regional governments controlling their resources and security.
“It brings more money to the table, it creates jobs, and most importantly, it helps security. Once people control their local security and resources, insecurity will vanish. It’s not rocket science,” he added.
He further compared the current reform efforts to patching cracks on a collapsing structure rather than rebuilding it from the foundation.
“Don’t invite someone to patch the cracks. You tear it down and build afresh,” he said.
Ozekhome stated that a new constitution would address Nigeria’s real-time problems, such as poverty, food insecurity, and killings.
“It will. Once power is devolved, people will feel responsible and empowered to manage their affairs. That translates into development,” he noted.
The SAN said a decentralised system would enable each region to legislate independently, attract investments, build infrastructure, and operate local policing aligned with cultural realities.
Ozekhome also criticised entrenched interests in central political power that resist restructuring for fear of losing control.
“They will say, ‘No restructuring, no local government autonomy,’ because the power rests at the centre. This greed for central power is killing the country,” he said.
According to him, even in a restructured Nigeria with regional constitutions, national unity can still be maintained through equal representation in a parliamentary system.
The senior advocate urged President Bola Tinubu to take the lead in championing a new constitution, recalling the president’s past advocacy for constitutional reform.
“Tinubu knows that a new constitution will solve our problems. In the past, he was one of us crusading for a people’s constitution, and if he does, he will be remembered in history more than for any other achievement during his tenure,” Ozekhome said.
