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Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, has asserted that Nigeria cannot thrive under its current 1999 Constitution, stating that even the most ideal leader would struggle to address the nation’s challenges without a new framework.
Speaking at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos during the launch of “The Noble Academic and Patriot: A Biography of Emeritus Professor Akinjide Osuntokun”, Anyaoku called for urgent constitutional reform.
“To those who think that the trouble with Nigeria today is the political leadership, I would say that as long as we have the 1999 Constitution as our grundnorm, not even Angel Gabriel or Malaikah Jibrin as leaders can successfully tackle the divisiveness, the underperforming economy with resultant poverty, insecurity, corruption, and other major challenges currently facing Nigeria,” he said.
Anyaoku highlighted Nigeria’s complex diversity as a multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic, and multi-religious society, noting that the country’s historical and cultural differences require a federal structure to function harmoniously.
Drawing parallels to nations like India, Canada, and Switzerland, he explained that successful pluralistic countries achieve stability through genuine federal constitutions.
“The universal lesson is that pluralistic countries which have survived as single political entities in unity and progress are those that addressed their pluralism, that is, their diversity, with genuine federal constitutions,” he explained.
Anyaoku’s remarks intensify the call for a constitutional overhaul in Nigeria, as many believe that the existing structure hampers national unity, political stability, and effective governance. For Nigeria to progress, Anyaoku insists, “it must have a truly federal constitution.”