Emeka Anyaoku Calls for New Democratic Constitution to Reflect Nigeria’s Diversity

Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has called for the adoption of a new, inclusive, and democratically-formulated constitution to better reflect Nigeria’s pluralistic society.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at a national summit organized by The Patriots and the Nigerian Political Summit Group, Anyaoku, who chaired the event, argued that the current 1999 Constitution does not adequately represent the diverse nature of the country. He described it as a product of military imposition rather than democratic consensus.

“Nigeria is a pluralistic country,” Anyaoku said. “Like all successful pluralistic nations, political stability and sustainable development require a constitution that is democratically crafted by elected representatives of the people. Our current constitution, imposed by a military decree, fails in this regard.”

He criticized the 1999 Constitution (as amended) for promoting an over-centralized and inefficient governance structure that drains national resources through excessive administrative costs at the expense of developmental priorities.

Anyaoku emphasized that a new people-driven constitution is crucial to tackling Nigeria’s current challenges, including rising insecurity, widespread poverty, underdeveloped infrastructure, and a growing sense of hopelessness among the youth.

He noted that the present structure of 36 federating units has proven ineffective in generating the kind of national development seen in Nigeria’s early post-independence years.

Among the constitutional issues he highlighted for urgent review are:

• The number and structure of federating units

• Allocation of powers between national and sub-national governments

• The organization of security agencies

• The regulation and structure of political parties

• Management and distribution of national resources

To ensure legitimacy and broad national acceptance, Anyaoku proposed that the new constitution be drafted by representatives specifically elected for that purpose and ratified through a national referendum.

“A constitution created through such a democratic process will not only address the root causes of our national challenges but also foster greater unity, stability, and progress,” he concluded.