Politics
Nigerians And Current Constitution Review
Since its inception as a country, Nigeria has had many constitutions: the Clifford’s in 1922; Richard’s in 1946; McPherson’s of 1952; down to the 1960 independence constitution; 1963 Republican Constitution; 1979; and the present 1999, which is an amendment of the 1979 constitution.
The existence and subsequent amendment of these constitutions had expectedly defined the Nigerian society at any given point with many elements, the operation of which was either viewed satisfactory or otherwise.
Of all the amendments, none has been described people-oriented as the on-going constitutional review, which gained such recognition by virtue of it being held at the grassroots in order to get the true feelings of the people and reflect same in the final document.
Going by the manner in which the nation-wide referendum on the constitutional review was organised, Nigerians have shown great expectations regarding the final report being truly representative of their various interests. They are thus highly expectant of that constitution that would adequately make provision for their dues and their security before laying emphasis on their obligations.
However, their wait may be longer than envisaged. This is because the National Assembly has continued to disagree over various issues in which they had indicated their stands when their opinions were sort at the grassroots late last year.
Though the reports of the referendum conducted across the country by both the House of Representatives and Senate are yet to be made public, there are already indications that the lawmakers may find it difficult to speak in unison in certain key issues. Such issues include state creation and local government autonomy.
This disagreement has already stalled the first public hearing for the report of the National Assembly on the nationwide referendum by the Constitution Review Committee of the House of Representatives. The Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal cancelled the event last month after a marathon meeting of principal officers that lasted over three hours.
According to him, the cancellation was necessitated by the need to put certain things right by carrying out more consultations on contentious issues.
“As a leadership, we have reviewed the process so far and realised that we cannot go ahead with this programme today. Just like any other things associated with humans, there are hitches here and there, that is normal”, Tambuwal said.
Contrarily, indications are rife that part of the disagreement in the Lower House borders on the fact that the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, who is the Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, is not on the same page with his principal on certain provisions suggested in the report.
After several efforts to reach a compromise failed, Tambuwal and his loyalists chose to “stop what they christened unfavourable report, from becoming a public document, saying that such presentation may further complicate the hitherto fragile situation among the lawmakers.
The position of Tambuwal and his loyalists was alleged to be a reaction against such issues as state creation and immunity. It was alleged that the Speaker and his Deputy disagreed on several occasions when attempts were made to reach a compromise on the grey areas.
The implication is that the leadership of the House is currently divided into two with each supporting either Tambuwal or Ihedioha on the issues. The situation is almost the same in the Upper House, Senate.
According to inside sources, the arguments for and against the need for new states have also caused a sharp division among principal officers of the Senate: While Senate President, David Mark and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, are for state creation, some principal officers mostly from the North, are opposed to the creation of more states.
In fact, as at the last debate, it was difficult to determine what the result would be if the lawmakers had decided to vote on the contentious issue of state creation. The reason was that while a good number of senators from the South and North Central were in support, most lawmakers from the North were strongly against it.
The Senate President was quoted to have said: “the argument of those opposing state creation is based on whether existing states are viable or not. But they forget that a state might be unviable just because the administrator is not ingenious with internal revenue generation, or the people are not united and the administrator has to spend the available resources on achieving peace.
“I am for the creation of Aba State and any other State that may fit the conditions. I have never shied away from my agitation for creation of additional states…”, he said.
Ordinarily, all these and other arguments from the perspective of a selfless broadminded person, which is what those the legislators represent expect them to be, can only be for the best, if the aim is to create an egalitarian society in the Nigerian state. Anything outside this can only further heat-up the polity.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday brushed aside the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which ordered him to stay proceedings in a suit that sought deregistration of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Accord Party and three others.
The Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision of a panel of three Justices had on May 22, 2026 directed the Federal High Court Judge not to proceed with the suit until an appeal pending before them and filed by Accord Party is resolved.
In a Certified True Copy Enrol Order of the Superior Court, Justices Mohammed Danjuma, Adebukola Banjoko and Oyejoju Oyewumi asked the lower Court Judge to stay proceedings until all issues on the appeal filed by the Accord Party were resolved
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State had, through the Accord Party, applied to justice Lifu to join him as a defendant in the deregistration legal battle instituted by a group of former legislators.
The contention of the Osun State governor was that he had a stake in the Accord Party, being the platform he was seeking re-election in the August 15 gubernatorial poll in the state.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu on April 27 ruled against the Osun State governor, rejecting his request to be joined in the suit to defend his own position and interest.
Not satisfied with the Federal High Court decision, the Osun State governor, through his lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), moved to the Court of Appeal in Abuja where he challenged the Justice Lifu decision to refuse to allow him join the suit.
After listening to the argument canvassed, especially that he has interest to protect as Accord Party gubernatorial candidate for Osun State governorship election, the three Justices of the Court of Appeal, unanimously directed Justice Lifu to allow them look into the grievances of the governor.
In specific terms, the Court of Appeal Justices directed Justice Lifu not to proceed further with the matter and fixed October 27 to determine the interlocutory appeal of the appellant.
However, when the certified enroll order and notice of appeal were served on Justice Peter Lifu by Mr Adetunbi (SAN), the judge rejected it on the ground that it was a ploy to arrest his judgment in the matter.
Although the judge had adjourned his judgment delivery in the matter indefinitely, he finally made a dramatic turn around on Monday and proceeded to deliver the judgment that has now proscribed the five political parties.
Actor turned politician, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, has rejected the choice of former Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement on Monday, Mallam Bolaji Abdulllahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, announced the party’s choice of Mr Amaechi.
However in a statement, Mr Okonkwo said that the choice of Mr Amaechi from the South South strengthens the continued marginalization of people from the South East.
According to the former spokesperson of the Labour Party, any arrangement that would not factor a person from the South East either as president or vice president in the party is anti-Igbo.
He contended that Chief Raph Nwosu, who founded the ADC in 2005 and willingly surrendered it’s leadership to Senator David Mark did not do so to entrench Igbo marginalization in the party.
The former actor said: “I heard from the social media that ADC has picked its vice presidential candidate from the South-South. If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East.
“This geo-political zone has neither produced a president or vice president since 1999. To deny the South-East the opportunity to produce the president or vice president in the ADC in 2027, will amount to perpetuating the marginalisation.
“The ADC was founded by Ralphs Nwosu from the South-East in 2005. He made the sacrifice to give up the party in 2025 for the coalition to usher in a better Nigeria. He couldn’t have made that sacrifice to marginalise his own people.
“I did not join the coalition to assist in marginalisation of my own people further. I am of the opinion that if we made a sacrifice to give up the national chairman and the president, it will amount to unpardonable injustice to deny us the vice president in 2027.
“I joined politics to fight for a better Nigeria where no region, geo-political zone, or person will be marginalised.
“The only favour I asked Atiku Abubakar, who openly declared that he is the pathway to the presidency of the South-East, is to show it by choosing someone from the South-East to be his vice.
“If it is confirmed that he has chosen a candidate from the South-South, I wish him well. I am not favourably disposed to campaigning for any presidential ticket that does not have a person of South-East origin as president or vice in 2027”
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, on Monday said that the numerous projects being executed by President Bola Tinubu across the states in the southeast will give him upper hand over other presidential candidates during next year’s general elections.
Prof. Yilwatda stated this at the Abakaliki Township Stadium during a mega rally organized by the Ebonyi State government and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, during which President Tinubu and other APC candidates for the 2027 general elections were adopted.
According to the APC National Chairman, no President had done for the southeast region what President Tinubu has done for them and expressed the confidence that the president would not only win in Ebonyi State but in the entire South East.
Prof. Yilwatda also used the occasion to address growing insinuations in some quarters that Ebonyi State had been conceded to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dismissing the claim, Prof. Yilwatda said the state would not allow the PDP to win any position in the forthcoming general election.
“We will return President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Francis Nwifuru as Governor of Ebonyi State in 2027.
“We want to return all APC senators, members of the House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates in 2027.
“Nobody has conceded Ebonyi to the PDP. Therefore, there is no vacancy in Ebonyi State. Ebonyi PDP has no place, and there is no vacancy at all in the Government House come 2027,” the APC National Chairman declared.
He commended the people of the state for their support for President Tinubu and urged them to re-elect him in the next presidential election in appreciation of what he has done for the state and the entire South-East through infrastructural transformation and human capital development.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, who also spoke at the event, said the state had no other presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections apart from President Tinubu.
He declared that Ebonyi remained a stronghold of the APC and vowed that the party would deliver the President in the state.
Gov. Nwifuru said President Tinubu had shown exceptional commitment to the state and deserved total support for appointing Senator Umahi as Minister of Works, a role he said Senator Umahi had performed creditably.
“Ebonyi has no other presidential candidate apart from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we will return him in the presidential election.
“We are standing here today to tell the whole world, especially those using the President’s name to orchestrate division and confusion in this great state, that we have only one party, and that is the APC.
“This statement became necessary because some people are going around claiming they have discussed with Mr President and that he has handed Ebonyi over to the PDP. They are also saying that Chief Nyesom Wike is their leader and that Wike said the President has given Ebonyi to him.
“Ebonyi is not for sale. We are restraining ourselves because the people are with us. Nobody should push us because we have what it takes to confront anyone trying to destabilise us.
“We want to tell Mr President that he has earned our votes. He gave us what we had never had in Eastern Nigeria — the office of the Minister of Works. And this Minister of Works is not sitting idle; he is working,” he stated.
Senator Umahi, in his remarks, said President Tinubu had done what no other President had done for Ebonyi State and the entire South-East by executing numerous projects across the state and the region.
“Ebonyi State is a one-party state under Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. We are not going to repeat the mistakes of the past.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done a lot, not just for Ebonyi State but for the entire South-East and other geopolitical zones,” he said.