Anyaoku, Obasanjo differ on call for new constitution at national summit

By Kunle Sanni –

Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday expressed sharply differing views on whether Nigeria needs a new constitution to address its complex challenges.

The two elder statesmen spoke at the opening of a three-day Emergency National Constitutional Summit in Abuja, organised by The Patriots in collaboration with the Nigerian Political Summit Group (NPSG). The summit is themed “Actualising a Constitutional Democracy That Works for All in Nigeria.”

Chief Anyaoku, who chairs The Patriots, strongly advocated for a new, people-driven constitution, arguing that the current 1999 Constitution was imposed by the military and lacks the democratic foundation needed to reflect Nigeria’s pluralism and drive national development.

“Nigeria is a pluralistic country, and like all successful pluralistic nations, its constitution must address its diversity and be democratically formulated by representatives of its diverse people,” Anyaoku said.

He described the current federal structure as ineffective, stating that the 36-state model has failed to deliver development. He pointed to widespread insecurity, poor healthcare, weak education systems, and growing poverty as signs of systemic failure.

“The governance system derived from the 1999 Constitution is non-inclusive and prioritises administrative costs over capital development. We need a constitution that empowers sustainable development and is accepted by the people,” he added.

In contrast, former President Obasanjo dismissed the idea that a new constitution is a cure-all, arguing that no constitution is perfect and that leadership and implementation are more important than rewriting the legal framework.

“It is not about the constitution alone. What truly matters is how it is operated and the character of those in leadership,” Obasanjo noted.