The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has called for the immediate convocation of a Sovereign National Conference to produce a new constitution that reflects the collective aspirations, diversity and democratic values of Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the group’s factional President-General, Chief Omenazu Jackson, argued that none of Nigeria’s constitutions had been created through the sovereign will of the people, describing the country’s constitutional history as a legacy of colonial rule and military administrations.
According to Ohanaeze, colonial constitutions—including the Clifford Constitution of 1922, Richards Constitution of 1946, Macpherson Constitution of 1951 and Lyttleton Constitution of 1954—were designed by the British colonial administration to protect imperial interests rather than serve the aspirations of Nigerians.
The organisation further stated that the Independence Constitution of 1960 and the Republican Constitution of 1963 also failed to emerge from a truly sovereign constituent process, as they were products of elite negotiations rooted in colonial structures.
It added that the 1979 Constitution, the aborted 1989 constitutional process and the current 1999 Constitution were all drafted under military rule, making them deficient in democratic legitimacy because they were never subjected to a popular referendum.
Ohanaeze maintained that the absence of a people-driven constitution has contributed to longstanding national issues, including disputes over federalism, resource control, devolution of powers, state policing, electoral reforms, fiscal justice and national cohesion.
The group insisted that Nigeria should no longer operate under a constitutional framework that lacks the direct consent of its citizens, stressing that a democratic nation must be governed by a constitution freely made and adopted by its people.
To achieve this, Ohanaeze proposed the convening of a Sovereign National Conference where every ethnic nationality would nominate and sponsor its own delegates without financial assistance or interference from any level of government.
The organisation also recommended equal representation for all ethnic nationalities, regardless of population or geographical size, to promote fairness and mutual respect.
It further proposed that governments should have no role in appointing, screening or funding delegates, while the conference should independently determine its venue, procedures, committees and timetable.
According to the group, the resolutions reached at the conference should not be amended or rejected by any arm of government, and the constitution adopted by the delegates should automatically become Nigeria’s supreme law.
Ohanaeze called on the Federal Government, the National Assembly, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to support the initiative, describing it as a crucial step toward national unity, justice, peace and democratic renewal.
“We firmly believe that Nigeria can no longer continue to operate under a constitutional framework that was not born out of the genuine will of the people.
“A truly democratic nation must be governed by a Constitution made by the people, for the people, and with the full consent of the people. The time has come for Nigerians to sit together, in sincerity and patriotism, to determine the structure, principles and future of their country,” the statement said.
Comments