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1999 Constitution Poorly Drafted, Needs Amendment – Gbajabiamila
- “We need a near-perfect constitution in Nigeria”
Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, on Monday said the 1999 constitution was haphazardly put together owing to the prevailing circumstances and mood in the nation at the time.
Speaking on Tuesday during the zonal public hearing on the review of the 1999 constitution in Lagos, Gbajabiamila described the constitution as a product of a “hurried national compromise”.
The public hearings taking place across the six geopolitical zones are expected to end on Thursday.
He said the constitution falls below standards because it was put in place to expedite the exit of military from corridor of power.
“A nation’s constitution is the foundation of its existence. It is supposed to set the terms of our nationhood and define who we are in a manner that reflects both our common truths and highest aspirations,” he said.
“Our constitution falls short of this standard because the 1999 Constitution is the product of a hurried national compromise that we entered into two decades ago in other to ensure that the military returned to the barracks and that we returned to democratic government.
Femi Gbajabiamila
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“It was always the intention that we will one day as one people and one nation, return to amend this document so that it gives voice to the yearnings of the Nigerian people and sets out in clear details how we intend to achieve the shared ambitions of our nationhood. Providence has cast upon the 9th National Assembly the responsibility to write such a constitution for the Nigerian people.
The speaker said Nigeria needs a “near-perfect” constitution to correct the problems confronting the country.
“No nation in the world has a perfect constitution, but we need a near-perfect constitution in Nigeria and we can achieve that through substantive amendments that significantly alter the character of our nation,” he said.
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