Northwest Zonal Hearing: Group calls for new constitution, says ‘patchwork amendments no longer enough’
At the Northwest Zonal Public Hearing on constitutional reform by the Senate Committee, a civil society group, the Association for a Better Society, has called for Nigeria to abandon its current constitution and begin the journey toward drafting an entirely new one.
The call was made over the weekend, in Kano, by Hon. Mohammed Jamu Yusuf, OON, a prominent voice from the civil society group, who described the constitution as the “soul of any nation.”
SolaceBase reports that Yusuf told the Senate Committee on Constitution Review that Nigeria has operated for too long under a document rooted in military rule, lacking the legitimacy and responsiveness needed for a democratic and diverse nation.
“Patchwork amendments are not enough,” he declared. “Nigeria deserves a brand-new constitution, crafted by the people, for the people.”
He criticized the slow pace of constitutional reforms and likened repeated amendments to “painting rusted metal and calling it gold,” emphasizing that each delay only deepens the country’s challenges—from insecurity and corruption to economic hardship and regional discontent.
Backing his position with historical examples, the Honourable Yusuf referenced the United States’ adoption of a new constitution in 1787, Germany’s post-World War II reforms, and Rwanda’s constitutional reset following the genocide. According to him, these countries emerged stronger after replacing outdated charters—and Nigeria must do the same.
“Africa’s giant cannot afford to keep patching a broken system while our problems grow worse,” he said.
He stressed that many of Nigeria’s core issues—such as insecurity, economic imbalance, and corruption—are symptoms of a faulty and over-centralized federal structure. A new constitution, he argued, could:
“Empower states to manage their resources and provide security. Introduce a fairer fiscal federalism model based on productivity, guarantee rotational leadership to promote inclusion and unity and clarify the roles of traditional institutions, the judiciary, and federal agencies.
He insisted that piecemeal amendments cannot achieve the fundamental restructuring Nigeria requires.
Hon. Yusuf called on the National Assembly to take bold steps by initiating the process of drafting a truly people-driven constitution that would address fundamental, structural, and emerging national concerns.
These include: “Whether Nigeria should maintain a presidential system or return to parliamentary governance. How to ensure effective state policing and judicial independence. And Reforms to taxation, national youth service, gender rights, and the efficiency of the justice system.”
“History is watching. The future is waiting,” Yusuf warned. “Let us build, not patch. Let us rewrite, not amend. Let us begin again—and this time, let it truly be, We the People.”
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