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.
Alhaji Abubakar, who is also the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stressed that Chief Obasanjo’s latest public outburst against him is yet another failed attempt to rewrite history.
Alhaji Abubakar specifically said that if the true history of Chief Obasanjo’s political journey is ever written—free from selective recollection and personal bitterness, he (Atiku) would feature prominently as one of those whom God used to change the course of his (Obasanjo) life and political career.
These were contained in a statement the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to the former Vice President, Mr Phrank Shaibu, released in which Atiku said he watched the former President’s interview with profound sadness, but not anger, because it reflected the disposition of a man who has allowed personal resentment to cloud historical truth.
Alhaji Abubakar said the genesis of Chief Obasanjo’s hostility towards him is well known to Nigerians, stressing that he is proud that he stood against the third-term agenda and stood by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In the words of Alhaji Abubakar: “I have no apology whatsoever for frustrating every attempt to subvert our democracy for personal ambition. If Chief Obasanjo’s bitterness stems from my refusal to support an unconstitutional third term, then I wear that resentment as a badge of honour.
“No individual, regardless of his status or accomplishments, is bigger than the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Constitution is supreme, and I chose Nigeria over personal loyalty”.
Alhaji Abubakar noted that the struggle against the third-term agenda was never about two individuals, but about preserving Nigeria’s constitutional democracy for future generations.
He said: “The Nigerian people won that battle. Democracy won that battle. History has already delivered its verdict. It Is therefore unfortunate that the same man whose unconstitutional ambition was resisted now seeks to sit in judgment over those who defended the Constitution”.
The ADC Presidential candidate said it was particularly instructive that barely twenty-four hours before Chief Obasanjo’s latest outburst, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, publicly paid glowing tribute to the economic management team he led, describing it as “the best Nigeria has ever had”.
“Whether or not the timing is merely coincidental is for Nigerians to judge. What is beyond dispute, however, is that while distinguished Nigerians who served at the highest levels continue to acknowledge my contributions to one of Nigeria’s most successful periods of economic management, Chief Obasanjo appears determined to diminish them.
“Chief Obasanjo may choose not to appreciate my role in building one of Nigeria’s most prosperous economic eras, but history has been far kinder. The record speaks for itself, and so do the testimonies of those who worked closely with that administration,” he said.
Alhaji Abubakar further stated that Nigerians also deserve to remember the other side of history which Chief Obasanjo conveniently omits, saying: “History records that while Chief Obasanjo was in prison, I stood firmly by him. I supported his family, worked tirelessly with other patriots for his release and never wavered in my belief that he deserved his freedom”.
He further said: “When he eventually regained his freedom, he had little to his name. I received him, clothed him, ensured he was properly cared for and extended every support necessary to help him regain his footing.
“Beyond that, I mobilised political structures, built alliances and made enormous personal and political sacrifices that culminated in his emergence as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Alhaji Abubakar, however, said he harbours no regrets over any of those acts.
According to him: “Do I regret helping Chief Obasanjo? Absolutely not. When God gives you the opportunity to lift another human being, you do so without expecting repayment. Acts of kindness are matters of conscience, not commercial transactions”.
He added, however, that gratitude should never be replaced with revisionism.
Alhaji Abubakar particularly expressed disappointment that, at a time when Nigeria is battling economic hardship, mass unemployment, insecurity and widespread despair, a former President would devote so much energy to recycling old grudges instead of contributing solutions to the country’s challenges.
In the words of Atiku: “The 2027 election should be about rebuilding Nigeria, restoring security, reviving the economy and giving hope to the next generation—not reopening old political wounds”.
The former Vice President said he had deliberately maintained restraint over the years out of respect for the office Chief Obasanjo once occupied and in deference to the relationship they once shared.
He said: “That restraint should never be mistaken for weakness or docility. There comes a point when silence in the face of repeated distortions of history ceases to be a virtue. While I have no desire to engage in a public quarrel with a man I once stood beside in his most difficult moments, neither will I permit falsehoods, half-truths and calculated attempts to rewrite history to go unanswered.
“Chief Obasanjo is entitled to his opinions. He is entitled to his personal grievances. What he is not entitled to, are his own facts,” Alhaji Abubakar insisted.
The ADC presidential candidate reaffirmed that his attention remains firmly fixed on Nigeria’s future.
According to him; “I have chosen the path of service over resentment, vision over vendetta and national renewal over personal recrimination. Those who mistake my civility for capitulation, or my restraint for weakness, make a grave mistake.
“History is stubborn. It cannot be rewritten by bitterness, nor erased by repeated falsehoods. In the end, history will render its verdict—and so will the Nigerian people,” he stated.
According to the electoral umpire, campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections will commence on August 19, 2026, and end on January 15, 2027, exactly 24 hours before the elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
INEC also announced that campaigns for governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will begin on September 9, 2026, and conclude on February 5, 2027, ahead of the polls slated for February 6, 2027.
The commission explained that the campaign schedule complies with the Electoral Act 2026, which stipulates that electioneering activities must not begin earlier than 150 days before an election and must end at least 24 hours before voting.
INEC urged political parties, candidates and other stakeholders to strictly adhere to the approved timetable and conduct their campaigns in accordance with the law, while encouraging the public to obtain electoral information only from its official communication channels to avoid misinformation.
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