The pioneer National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, has said that the Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution is too flawed and is beyond redemption, and thus wants it immediately replaced with the 1963 Republican Constitution.
The former governor of the state of Osun contended that the “piecemeal amendment” of the 1999 Constitution given to the nation by the military will push Nigeria towards disintegration rather than help it progress.
Chief Bisi Akande spoke on Tuesday at the launching of the book, “Nigeria: the Path We Refused to Take,” written by Afenifere’s General Secretary, Basorun Arogbofa, an event which held at the Federal University of Technology, Akure.
According to him, “The 1999 Constitution is Nigeria’s greatest misadventure since Lugard’s amalgamation of 1914.
“The constitution puts emphasis on spending rather than making money, thereby intensifying the battles for supremacy between the legislature and the executive while the judiciary is being corruptly tainted and discredited.
“The constitution breeds and protects corrupt practices and criminal impunity in governance.
“The 1999 Constitution can never be beneficially reviewed and the ongoing piecemeal adjustments or amendments can only totally blot the essence of national values and accelerate the de-amalgamation of Nigeria.
“All the angels coming from heavens cannot make that constitution work for the progress of Nigeria.
“It should only be scrapped as a bad relic of military mentality; and it ought to be temporarily replaced with the 1963 Republican Constitution to enable a transition for the writing of a suitable constitution.
“Otherwise, the 1999 Constitution would continue to dwarf Nigeria’s economy and stifle the country’s social structure pending a disastrous and catastrophic bankruptcy.”
Recall that the All Progressives Progress, only last week set up a committee headed by Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to define to Nigerians the type of restructuring it wants for the country.