1999 Constitution is flawed, according to Bode George

Nigeria’s constitution, according to Chief Bode George, a former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, cannot lead the nation to its Promised Land.

This was stated by the PDP leader on Tuesday while serving as a guest speaker at the Fifth Year Lecture hosted by Freedom Online news platform publisher SWAAYA Limited. The lecture’s title was “2023-2027: Nigerians, Elected Leaders, and Expectations.”

Governors from Imo and Bayelsa states sent representatives to the program. Additionally present were High Chief Tola Adeniyi, a former managing director of Daily Times, and a former minister of police affairs, Navy Cpt. Omoniyi Olubolade (ret.).

The principal hosts were Eze Anaba, president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and Maureen Chigbo, head of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers. Gani Adams, the Aare Onakanfo of Yorubaland, attended the occasion as well.

Speaking during the event held at Function Suite, Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, Bode noted that the Nigerian constitution “is military in setting” and needed to be reviewed.

Bode said, “Having served that long in the military, I can authoritatively confirm to you that the Nigerian constitution is absolutely military in setting. In the military, orders come from top to bottom.  But in a democratic dispensation, powers come from the people (bottom) to the top. But we have copied the American constitution, that’s why things are not working. We must be deceiving ourselves if we think that this constitution will take us to the promise land.”

The PDP leader also emphasized state policing, pointing out that it would be a highly effective method of securing the nation.

The Bayelsa State governor, Duoye Diri, who was addressing through his chief press secretary, Daniel Alabra,

claimed that the presentation shed insight on the purpose and ability of lawmakers in the upcoming four years.

Declan Emelumba, the state’s commissioner for information, spoke on behalf of the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, who stated that while failure was not always the intention of politicians, certain circumstances frequently served as a roadblock.

In his speech, delivered by Emelumba, Governor Uzodimma said, “Let me make something clear. I don’t think there is any politician who deliberately goes into office with the intention to fail. Instead, circumstances and other variables sometimes constitute themselves into a stumbling block on the path of performance.”

Another thing is that members of the legislative and executive branches of government are measured according to distinct standards.