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Former President says leadership failure, not constitutional flaws, is Nigeria’s greatest challenge.
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Calls for accountability in governance and warns against recycling corrupt leaders.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that Nigeria’s problems stem more from poor leadership than from constitutional deficiencies, warning that even the best laws can be wrecked by selfish operators.
Obasanjo made the statement on Wednesday in Abuja during the opening of a three-day National Summit on the Future of Nigeria’s Constitutional Democracy, organised by The Patriots in partnership with the Nigeria Political Summit Group.
Represented by Secretary-General of Eminent Patriots, Mr. Olawale Okunniyi, Obasanjo said no constitution is flawless, but the calibre of leaders implementing it determines a nation’s success.
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“From my experience, even the best constitution can be perverted by selfish, corrupt, and unprincipled leaders. What matters most is the quality of the people operating the constitution,” he said.
Obasanjo warned that unless Nigeria breaks the cycle of recycling corrupt leaders, constitutional reforms alone would not stop the erosion of citizen welfare or halt underdevelopment.
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Also speaking, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Victor Attah, criticised the 1999 Constitution, describing it as a “military decree” that lacks legitimacy and popular input. He advocated for a return to the 1963 Constitution to restore true federalism and regional autonomy.
“Our democracy is no longer functional. Trust in government is eroding because we moved from a federal system to a highly centralised unitary system that does not serve the people,” Attah said.
Senator Gbenga Daniel, co-chair of the summit organising committee, said the gathering aims to provide a citizen-led intervention to Nigeria’s structural and governance crises. He added that resolutions from the summit would be submitted to the Presidency and National Assembly to encourage collaboration on constitutional reforms.
