MY RESPONSE: “TINUBU MOVES TO REWRITE NIGERIA…”
The responsibility for writing a constitution does not reside in the Presidency or even in the National Assembly. A true constitution derives its authority from the people—from the various ethnic nationalities and constituent communities that make up a country. That is why it is called a social contract. It is the people who give a constitution to their government, not the other way around.
If government alone writes a constitution, then every president will feel entitled to draft his own version, imposing his preferences on over 200 million citizens. That is not democracy; that is constitutional manipulation. Democracy is government of the people, by the people, and for the people—and that begins with a people-driven constitutional foundation.
If President Tinubu is truly serious, sincere, and committed to restructuring Nigeria, then the correct path is not unilateral constitutional proposals. The right step is to convene a sovereign dialogue of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities—Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Ijaw, Tiv, Kanuri, and all others—to renegotiate the terms of our union. Only such a foundational conversation can produce a legitimate constitution that reflects our diversity, aspirations, and future.
Renaming the country or adjusting powers between the centre and the states cannot replace this fundamental requirement. Surface reforms will not fix a structurally defective foundation. Nigeria must return to the people, because they alone possess the authority to determine how they wish to coexist.
If Tinubu genuinely desires a new Nigeria, he should begin with the people—not with executive drafts, political shortcuts, or media announcements. The future of Nigeria must be negotiated, not dictated.
The responsibility for writing a constitution does not reside in the Presidency or even in the National Assembly. A true constitution derives its authority from the people—from the various ethnic nationalities and constituent communities that make up a country. That is why it is called a social contract. It is the people who give a constitution to their government, not the other way around.
If government alone writes a constitution, then every president will feel entitled to draft his own version, imposing his preferences on over 200 million citizens. That is not democracy; that is constitutional manipulation. Democracy is government of the people, by the people, and for the people—and that begins with a people-driven constitutional foundation.
If President Tinubu is truly serious, sincere, and committed to restructuring Nigeria, then the correct path is not unilateral constitutional proposals. The right step is to convene a sovereign dialogue of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities—Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Ijaw, Tiv, Kanuri, and all others—to renegotiate the terms of our union. Only such a foundational conversation can produce a legitimate constitution that reflects our diversity, aspirations, and future.
Renaming the country or adjusting powers between the centre and the states cannot replace this fundamental requirement. Surface reforms will not fix a structurally defective foundation. Nigeria must return to the people, because they alone possess the authority to determine how they wish to coexist.
If Tinubu genuinely desires a new Nigeria, he should begin with the people—not with executive drafts, political shortcuts, or media announcements. The future of Nigeria must be negotiated, not dictated.
MY RESPONSE: “TINUBU MOVES TO REWRITE NIGERIA…”
The responsibility for writing a constitution does not reside in the Presidency or even in the National Assembly. A true constitution derives its authority from the people—from the various ethnic nationalities and constituent communities that make up a country. That is why it is called a social contract. It is the people who give a constitution to their government, not the other way around.
If government alone writes a constitution, then every president will feel entitled to draft his own version, imposing his preferences on over 200 million citizens. That is not democracy; that is constitutional manipulation. Democracy is government of the people, by the people, and for the people—and that begins with a people-driven constitutional foundation.
If President Tinubu is truly serious, sincere, and committed to restructuring Nigeria, then the correct path is not unilateral constitutional proposals. The right step is to convene a sovereign dialogue of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities—Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Ijaw, Tiv, Kanuri, and all others—to renegotiate the terms of our union. Only such a foundational conversation can produce a legitimate constitution that reflects our diversity, aspirations, and future.
Renaming the country or adjusting powers between the centre and the states cannot replace this fundamental requirement. Surface reforms will not fix a structurally defective foundation. Nigeria must return to the people, because they alone possess the authority to determine how they wish to coexist.
If Tinubu genuinely desires a new Nigeria, he should begin with the people—not with executive drafts, political shortcuts, or media announcements. The future of Nigeria must be negotiated, not dictated.
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