Bisi Akande: 1999 constitution is Nigeria’s greatest misadventure since 1914

Bisi Akande, former interim chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has described the 1999 constitution as the country’s “greatest misadventure” since the 1914 amalgamation of northern and southern Nigeria by British colonial administrator, Frederick Lugard.

Akande says the “piecemeal adjustments” to the 1999 constitution (as amended) will accelerate the de-amalgamation of Nigeria.

The APC chieftain said this on Tuesday while speaking at the presentation of a book entitled ‘Nigeria: The path we refused to take’, written by Basorun Seinde Arogbofa.

He said the 1999 constitution should be scrapped and replaced with 1963 constitution.

Akande noted that the constitution breeds and protects corrupt practices, adding that it puts emphasis on spending rather than making money.

“Nigeria began as a controversial state of many nations. The 1999 Constitution is Nigeria’s greatest misadventure since Lugard’s amalgamation of 1914,” he said.

“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 bad relics 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.”

The national assembly has already begun amendments to the constitution.