On Monday, Kingsley Moghalu, a former presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party in the 2019 general elections, voiced his disagreement with Bola Tinubu’s response to the Patriots group’s call for urgent constitutional reform in Nigeria.
The Patriots, led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, recently met with President Tinubu, urging him to prioritize the creation of a new constitution. Although Tinubu respectfully received the delegation, he emphasized that his current focus is on economic reform.
However, Moghalu, a member of The Patriots, argued in a statement on X that economic transformation is closely tied to constitutional reform.
He said, “I respectfully disagree with Bola Tinubu‘s response to the visit to him by The Patriots, led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, during which the group (of which I am a member) pressed for a new Constitution for Nigeria as a matter of urgency, and recommending specific steps to achieve this.
“While PBAT received the eminent elder statesman and his colleagues with the appropriate dignity and protocols (“this is a group I cannot ignore”, Tinubu noted), He asserted that economic reform (and the crisis that it has created in the country) is his priority right now, but that his government would of course study the recommendations of The Patriots and respond (hopefully with action and not merely words).”
He added that it would be almost impossible to bring a fundamental fix to Nigeria’s economy in the absence of a new constitution.
He stated, “What Nigeria’s leaders fail to understand is that it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to bring a fundamental fix to Nigeria’s economy in the absence of a new constitution that is anchored on real federalism, and preferably anchored on a regional structure of 6-12 regions.”
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The former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria highlighted the critical role of nationhood in achieving economic success, stating that “Nigeria is a country, but not yet a nation.”
He explained, “There is no unity of purpose, no shared vision. This is because the country holds different meanings for different groups.”
Moghalu also cautioned against the risks of postponing constitutional reform, referencing historical precedents as a warning.
“Nigeria as a pluralistic country that refuses to turn its plurality into a workable nationhood through an appropriate federal constitution, runs the risk of disintegration in the medium to long term,” he added.
Drawing from his 2018 book “Build, Innovate and Grow (BIG),” Moghalu reiterated his concerns about Nigeria’s direction.
“Nigeria today appears rudderless, with no particular direction. Our country has no purposeful destiny that we can say with conviction is our lodestar. Our citizens are increasingly unsure of what being a Nigerian means,” he stated.
Moghalu urged Tinubu to reconsider the importance of constitutional reform, stating, “I urge Tinubu to take this matter with the seriousness it deserves.”
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