Politics

Tinubu Should Have Political Will To Get Nigeria New Constitution – Ozekhome

Published

10 months ago

August 12, 2024

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome, has urged President Bola Tinubu to muster the political will to get Africa’s most populous nation what he described as a people-centred constitution.

The human rights lawyer was a guest on a Television show. He is a member of The Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerians led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku who met with the President on Friday at the State House in Abuja.

Asked whether the President has the political will to make a new constitution happen, the senior lawyer said, “Well, he should have the political will because these problems will not go away until we tackle it headlong”.

Further asked whether a new constitution is an antidote to poverty, insecurity, and other challenges confronting the Nigerian state, Ozekhome said, “It is. The killings you are seeing, the poverty, the corruption, they are all symptoms of a larger problem which is the basis of what we are talking about. When you solve it, other things will be in place.”

Ozekhome argued that the 1999 Constitution was military-imposed, and not subject to any referendum. He said Nigeria needs an indigenous and people-centric constitution to redirect the country’s “journey of no destination”.

According to him, Nigeria lacks nationhood. “Nigeria is a country still yearning for nationhood. We are not united,” he said. The brand new constitution must be subjected to the referendum of the people, he added.

Asked whether Nigeria must constitute a constituents’ assembly before a new constitution, the senior advocate said, “We have to have a constituents’ assembly and only the National Assembly can pass a law in that regard. Then, the draft constitution will now be signed by Mr President and we will have a constitution.”

He said if the people agree that they want a unicameral legislature, “that is how it is going to be” because democracy is decided by the people.

Ozekhome further stated that the engine (constitution) of the Nigerian state has knocked and should be replaced.

“The political elite has to agree. If you are driving a car and the car has a knocked engine. Is it not the engine you should look at? Do you begin to panel-beat the car, spray it with beautiful paint, and buy new tyres? Will that move the car?
“I am saying that the engine of the Nigerian state, for now, is knocked and it is giving rise to all these mutual suspicion, religious intolerance.”

He said economic reforms are good but must not be put before a people-centred constitution. He said the National Assembly must agree to a new constitution for the problems of Nigeria to vanish.

Ozekhome’s comments followed the 2014 National Conference Report which recommended constitutional, amendment, community policing, fiscal federalism, and restructuring, among others.

A decade ago, then President Goodluck Jonathan and other leaders organised the conference to proffer workable suggestions on how to move the country forward.

The national dialogue began on March 17, 2014, with the late respected Jurist, Justice Idris Kutigi (retd.), as its chairman.

494 Nigerians from all walks of life attended the conference for about five months. About N10bn was spent on the confab which produced over 600 recommendations including suggestions for the restructuring of Nigeria’s political, economic, social and security systems to quell agitations from different geopolitical sections and achieve long-lasting peace.

However, the recommendations of the confab have not been implemented by successive administrations.

Politics

Tinubu Signs Kalu’s Bills Establishing 3 Tertiary Institutions in Abia, Imo into Law

Published

3 hours ago

June 17, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed into law three bills sponsored by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, establishing Federal College of Education, Bende, Abia State; Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item Bende, Abia State, and Federal University Okigwe, Imo State.

The institutions aim to provide quality education, research opportunities, and cater to the educational needs of the South East region

Kalu expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for signing the bills into law, he urged the people of the South East people to continue supporting the Tinubu-led government, promising more democracy dividends.

Politics

Expose June 12 conspirators or face legal action – SERAP to Tinubu

Published

1 day ago

June 16, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged President Bola Tinubu to back up his Democracy Day rhetoric with defensive action by addressing the lingering injustices in Nigeria’s democratic history, especially, the landmark June 12, 1993 presidential election.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday, signed by the group’s Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare.

SERAP urged President Tinubu to set up a presidential panel of inquiry to investigate the annulment of the election on June 12 and uncover those who are behind what is described as the “deliberate violations of Nigerians democratic freedoms.”

The organization stated that not minding the political position of individuals found responsible, they should be brought to justice through Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

SERAP also urged the president to instruct Fagbemi to urgently draft and present an executive bill to the National Assembly seeking to amend the Electoral Act 2022, specifically to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory and grant all voters access to election documents.

The group argued that this would enhance electoral transparency, prevent manipulation, and help restore public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.

The organisation called on the president to immediately halt all prosecutions and drop charges against Nigerians currently detained or facing trial simply for exercising their rights to peaceful protest and free expression.

“Your Democracy Day speech conveyed a commitment to freedom, transparent and accountable governance, and social justice,” the letter stated.

“However, such commitments will ring hollow unless your government takes concrete action to end impunity for past violations, enforce electoral reforms, and guarantee democratic freedoms.”

SERAP emphasised that there is no statute of limitations on violations of democratic rights, and that achieving the ideals of June 12 is impossible without accountability and systemic reforms.

It warned that the failure to prosecute those responsible for the June 12 annulment has entrenched a culture of impunity, encouraging continued subversion of elections and political rights in Nigeria.

“Amending the Electoral Act to mandate electronic transmission of results and ensuring open access to electoral documents are essential to delivering credible elections,” the group stated. “It will also allow voters to verify the integrity of electoral outcomes.”

The organisation also demanded a review of laws undermining freedom of expression.

It asked the president to push for the repeal or amendment of repressive statutes, including the Cybercrimes Act and criminal defamation and falsehood laws in the Criminal and Penal Codes, which have been used to silence journalists, critics, and dissenters.

SERAP raised concern over the growing trend of strategic lawsuits against public participation, noting that the legal tactics, often backed by politicians and security agencies are being used to harass and intimidate Nigerians peacefully expressing their views.

“Your administration’s obligation under the Constitution, your oath of office, and Nigeria’s international human rights commitments requires you to dismantle structures of repression and safeguard democratic freedoms,” SERAP wrote.

The group gave the president a seven-day deadline to begin implementing its recommendations, failing which it vowed to initiate legal action to compel compliance in the public interest.

While acknowledging the president’s recent pledges to deepen democracy and expand civic space, SERAP insisted that only concrete reforms, not lofty speeches, can truly honour the legacy of June 12 and move Nigeria towards a just and free society.

Politics

Ekiti: PDP stakeholders vow to salvage party, win governorship election

Published

1 day ago

June 16, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti North Senatorial District have resolved to commit themselves to the survival and the success of the party in the 2026 governorship election in the state.

The party stakeholders made the declaration on Wednesday at a stakeholders meeting held at Ido Ekiti, in Ido Osi LGA.

Speaking at the parley, the convener of the meeting and former PDP senatorial candidate in the 2023 National Assembly election, Mr. Funso Ayeni said he convened the party leaders in the senatorial district to talk to them and as well intimate them about the ongoings in the party.

“It is to also motivate them that they should go back home and remain strong as we prepare for elections to come.

“PDP is my party, the party is strong, and I believe at every point in time there should be unity of purpose. I believe there should be shared value.

“For us, the only thing we can give back to this party is to make sure that it doesn’t die, the party is alive in our present time.

“As you are aware, INEC has released the timetable for our election next year. Election is coming very soon, so as a party we must continue to come together, press together, and then ensure that we are ready for elections to come.

“This is where the majority of the vote is coming from in the next election. I believe this is the time to start mobilizing and galvanizing our people towards making their votes count.Their votes cannot count if you don’t talk to them. And we are talking to ourselves in preparation for that,” he said.

On challenges confronting the party at the national and the state levels, about five months to the governorship primaries, the PDP chieftain said, “So if I may ask, is there any party that has no internal challenges? There is none. So of course, we can talk about the degree of the challenges.

“I believe the National Working Committee is doing essentially what is required for us to be on the track again.

“I believe soon, the party will be able to overcome such internal challenges. There is a series of meetings going on, it is not about me. The party organ that is responsible for that is attending to it, I’m quite confident that all issues will be resolved. And in no distant time, the party will get its direction and then we’re able to face the election.”

On whether the party have any chance to dislodge the ruling APC, Ayeni said: “There is nobody that is happy about the ruling party at the moment, the entire nation is in disarray. Are we saying Ekiti is different from other people that are buying their petrol at how much they are buying it?

“Are we saying the roads in Ekiti are so beautiful now that everybody is happy? Are we saying the economic prosperity in Ekiti is something to write home about? If you believe that everything is not working, it’s as good as anybody in this government can be easily dislodged.

“What I’m saying now is that you have pushed people to the wall. People are not protesting, but they want to protest with their votes. The earlier they know that, the better. People want leadership that can actually manage the challenges that we have at hand. Hungry people on the street, roaming about the street, no work. How has the government been able to industrialize the state? How has the government been able to empower the youths? Our youths are riding okada, are we all happy with that? Those are the issues and they are going to manifest in the vote of the people come June 20, 2026.

“What you have also seen is that people are keeping quiet because the power belongs to them and the power indeed belongs to the people. And when it belongs to the people, they have the mandate to use, and they are going to use it when it comes to that election.

“This is not about me. I have the strong belief that the party that should even be worried now is the APC because they have not done well.

“When you see me now calling on my senatorial district to talk to people, it is to intimate them about the ongoings in the party. It is to also motivate them that they should go back home and remain strong as we prepare for elections to come.”