FORMER Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) president, Olisa Agbakoba, has advised President Bola Tinubu to work towards giving the country a new constitution.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Olisa Agbakoba said the current political structure of the country has been ineffective for too long.
In a statement, on Thursday, on X, Agbakoba said the current power-sharing structure in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) did not decentralized governance.
“It’s time to reconsider Nigeria’s governance structure. We’ve been operating within a system that has been ineffective for far too long. Too much power has been centralized in Abuja, limiting the authority of states and regions and stifling their power. We need to go back to basics with a constitutional reform that truly redistributes power, empowering states to drive their own development.
“History has taught us a valuable lesson. In 340 AD, Roman Emperor Diocletian believed that his empire was too vast for one person to effectively govern. What did he do? He appointed four co-emperors, decentralizing power and allowing the Roman Empire to thrive for another 1,500 years! This is the bold action required in Nigeria.”
He further advised the National Assembly to start up the process for constitutional reform. He noted that decision-making should be closer to the citizens.
“We should aim for a governance structure where governors have the authority to lead their states, local communities have a say in their affairs, and decision-making is closer to the people it affects.
“The National Assembly holds the key to making this change. We need a constitutional reform that recalibrates the balance of power and allows real strong political and economic development to take hold in Nigeria,” Agbakoba added.
