Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution Must Be Abandoned – Cardinal Okojie

Posted by: Folamidavid in News, Politics Oct 1, 2020

Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie has come out to say that Nigeria has to be rescued from the 1999 Constitution.

Okogie recently revealed that the constitution created a leadership that benefits only the elite while aiding poverty, insecurity, and insurgency in the nation.

According to him, the desire to be part of this big and expensive government has led us into the firm grips of an electoral process whose integrity is regularly violated.

He added that vote-rigging, vote-buying and vote-stealing must also be abandoned for the good of our electoral process.

His words, “Nigeria needs to be rescued from the 1999 Constitution. That Constitution set up a government in a way that is unfair to the people of Nigeria.

“It is an irony that a foundational document such as a country’s constitution, a document that ought to facilitate and protect our land and our well-being, sets up Nigeria in a way that facilitates insecurity, poverty and insurgency.

“Nigeria needs to be rescued from the big, expensive and overbearing but uncaring government that has emerged as a result of this Constitution; from the kind of leadership that has emerged from the 1999 Constitution.

“Only the political elite can benefit from this Constitution. The poor masses cannot. That is why the first line of resistance to restructuring is constituted by those who benefit from the Constitution.

“We need to be rescued from a Constitution that has set up the most expensive government on the African continent. With a big and expensive government, little is left for the welfare of the Nigerian.

“The desire to be part of this big and expensive government has led us into the firm grips of an electoral process whose integrity is regularly violated.

“The end of politics is seen as the attainment of power for the sake of power. Whoever is perceived as standing in the way is either maligned or mauled.

“Vote rigging, vote-buying and vote-stealing have done immeasurable damage to the electoral process. Our political actors cross from one party to another without any regard for philosophy.

“The desire to control the parties has led to the absence of intra-party democracy. Each party exists to provide a platform for power-sharing.”