Politics
Nigeria Needs New Constitution – Ex-Lawmaker
A former member of the House of Representatives, Mr Peter Ede, has called for a brand new constitution written by the people themselves.
Ede argued that the ongoing constitutional amendment would not address Nigeria’s many problems saying that the present constitution was foisted on the people by the military and contained many flaws.
Ede made the call in an interview with newsmen on Saturday in Abakaliki at the wedding of Dr Lillian Mbam, daughter of Chief Elias Mbam, Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
Former Miss Mbam got wedded to Mr Paulicarp Ori, a Fight Lieutanant in the Nigerian Air Force at St Theresa’s Catholic Cathedral Church, Ogoja Road, Abakaliki.
The former lawmaker, who represented Ishielu /Ezza North Federal Constituency between 1999 and 2007, said amending sections of the constitution would not solve Nigeria’s socio-political and economic challenges.
Ede explained that the 1999 constitution which had undergone some amendments had yet to address some burning issues affecting the unity, oneness and indivisibility of Nigeria.
“Many have called for a stop of the ongoing review process.
“I remember that we amended the constitution eight years ago and some of the amended sections were later signed into law while some were not.
“A lot of issues have arisen over time since the last amendment and majority of the people are saying stop the review process and I am beginning to see that they are actually correct.
“The 1999 constitution (as amended), no matter how we beat it up, no matter how we amend it can never assume the sovereignity that is supposed to be its nature.
“A constitution is supposed to be an ‘organic’ document that evolved from the people.
“Hence, I am a proponent of a brand new constitution because what we have seen so far is a military document foisted on us.
“The more you try to amend the document, the more contentious it becomes, the more problematic it becomes.
“There are more fundamental things that are supposed to be built into it that the present arrangement will not allow,” Ede said.
He opined that a new constitution would address festering insecurity bedevilling parts of the country including armed agitations as well as create a socio-political order where equity, justice and fairness would prevail.
“If we write a new constitution, it will be handled by a select few called ‘constitutent assembly’ and contentions will be less because the number of members are less.
“The partisanship involved in saying that I am trying to protect certain interests will be less.
“So, a brand new constitution will capture the mood of the people and address many social and political challenges we are facing as a nation,” added.
Ede, one time Commissioner for Education in Ebonyi, noted that a new constitution would also address the new realities that had dawned on the country including separatists agitations, fiscal federalism, devolution of powers among others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the wedding attracted dignitories across political divides including Gov. Dave Umahi represented by Mr Francis Nwifuru, Speaker of the Ebonyi House of Assembly. (
The Commission disclosed the figure in its weekly update for week 14 of the second phase of the exercise, which ended on Friday, April 17, 2026.
According to the breakdown, 2,259,288 Nigerians completed their registration through the online pre-registration portal, while 1,489,416 finalized their registration physically at designated centres nationwide.
INEC noted that the figures remain preliminary and are subject to further verification and data cleaning processes to ensure accuracy ahead of the consolidation of the national voter register.
With the conclusion of the registration phase, the Commission has now shifted focus to the display of the Register of Voters for Claims and Objections, a statutory stage aimed at strengthening the credibility and integrity of the voters register.
The display exercise is scheduled to hold from April 29 to May 5, 2026, across designated centres nationwide, providing citizens the opportunity to verify their details and raise objections where necessary.
The Commission urged all registered voters from the concluded phase to take advantage of the exercise to confirm the accuracy of their information and assist in identifying ineligible entries, including duplicate registrations, deceased persons, and non-citizens.
INEC explained that the Continuous Voter Registration exercise is being conducted in phases, with the first phase running from August 18 to December 10, 2025, while the second phase commenced on January 5, 2026 and ended on April 17, 2026.
The Commission further stated that the date for the commencement of the third phase will be announced in due course.
Reaffirming its commitment to credible elections, INEC stressed that maintaining a clean and accurate voter register remains central to ensuring free, fair, and transparent electoral processes in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade, informed the journalists that the dialogue was sponsored by the European Union, under the auspices of the EU-Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II), Component 4: Support to Media.
According to the veteran media practitioner, the programme is aimed at strengthening the capacity of the media to promote credible elections through factual, accurate and fair reporting.
He explained that the programme is part of a broader five-year intervention designed to support democratic governance and improve the role of the media in Nigeria’s electoral process, stressing that fact-checking and inclusive reporting are critical responsibilities for journalists, especially during electioneering.
He described the media as a central role agent with regard to upholding transparency and accountability in the democratic process.
A resource person and Director of Journalism Clinic, Lagos, Mr Taiwo Obe, enjoined journalists to embrace the evolving technology so that they would not be in the backwaters in the practice of the profession.
He advised journalists not to downplay Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their bid to remain relevant in the media environment by being abreast of the changing patterns of news consumption.
The journalism teacher explained that with digital transformation of the media industry, it had become imperative for journalists to constantly upgrade and update their skills, stressing the fundamental place of attitude and self-development and underscored the dynamic nature of media consumption in the digital age, thereby compelling journalists to embrace tools and platforms, but without much reliance on AI.
In his lecture, a Professor of Mass Communication at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Adebola Aderibigbe, advised journalists in Ekiti State to ensure that coverage of the upcoming governorship poll is issue-based rather than dwelling on personalities.
He added that sensationalism should not occupy the front-burner of any discussions concerning the 2026 election, admonishing that sustenance of democracy is anchored on responsible journalism.
”Journalists must prioritise accuracy, fairness and balance in their reports by verifying facts and giving all parties involved in political matters the opportunity to present their views”, he said.
According to the university don, the election will not be defined by personalities, but by issues. ”Let issues be the pivotal ring upon which every discussion should be made. Sensationalisation of issues should not be the bedrock of discussions in the 2026 election”, he added.
“Do not hear from Party A without hearing from Party B, otherwise the report will be skewed to one side and once issues of elections are skewed, problems will naturally arise”, he stressed.