As Nigeria embarks on another round of constitutional review, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mohammed Ndarani Mohammed, has called for the drafting of an entirely new constitution that reflects the true aspirations of the Nigerian people.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the senior lawyer described the current 1999 Constitution as a relic of military rule that lacks legitimacy and fails to represent Nigeria’s diverse realities.
“This constitution was only an annexure to a military decree,” Mohammed said and added that, “Since 1999, it has been amended five times—costing taxpayers over N12.85 billion—with very little meaningful change. It is time to stop these expensive exercises and start afresh.”
The senior advocate emphasized that Nigeria needs a “people’s constitution,” rooted in democratic values, inclusivity, and national consensus. With 87 bills currently under review—ranging from state policing and fiscal federalism to gender inclusion, judicial reform, and local government autonomy—he argued that patchwork amendments will not address the fundamental issues plaguing the country’s governance.
Public hearings on the review process are ongoing, with plenary sessions scheduled for October 2025.
However, Mohammed expressed skepticism over the outcome, citing previous efforts that, according to him, were dominated by political elites and ignored the will of the people.
“Since 1999, successive amendment efforts have been hijacked by power blocs. Amendments are now seen as political poker rather than democratic reform,” he said.
One of the most debated provisions is the immunity clause, which shields sitting presidents and governors from prosecution. Mohammed called for its removal, saying it hampers the fight against corruption.
“Many Nigerians submitted memoranda urging its removal, citing the need to tackle high-level corruption, only for those proposals to be omitted by the National Assembly. Who told them to remove those submissions? Was it the people?” he asked.
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He also praised a proposed bill by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, which seeks to grant indigene status to residents who have lived in a state for at least 10 years or are married to a native.
“This bill is good for Nigeria. Citizenship should take precedence over origin. If you live, work, and contribute to a state for a decade, you deserve equal rights there—including the right to contest elections,” Mohammed said.
He noted that while Nigeria’s current constitutional framework provides for citizenship by birth, registration, and naturalisation allows states and communities to discriminate against “non-indigenes.”
“In the United States or UK, once you are a citizen, you can contest elections anywhere. Nigeria must adopt that standard if we are serious about unity and development,” he stated.
Mohammed further urged the National Assembly to address broader constitutional concerns such as restructuring the federal system, tackling insecurity, redefining the role of traditional institutions, resource control, youth service, and even exploring the option of reverting to a parliamentary system of government.
“Our sovereignty belongs to the people. It is their security and welfare that should be the primary purpose of government, as Chapter II, Section 14 of our Constitution clearly states,” he added.
As the constitutional review process heads toward its October plenary, the SAN maintained that Nigeria stands at a decisive crossroads.
“Whether the National Assembly will heed the calls for a fresh beginning—or persist with incremental tinkering—remains to be seen. But for many Nigerians, the time for half-measures is over. Let us put our heads and hands together to realize that greatness. With the right constitution, Nigeria can truly become one of the leading nations on earth,” he said.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
