Esther Salifu
Senator Ned Nwoko has rejected calls for a complete rewrite of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, insisting that the current document remains functional and only needs targeted amendments to address national issues.
Speaking on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily, the Delta North Senator described the 1999 Constitution as a “workable document” that has successfully guided Nigeria’s governance for decades.
“I do not subscribe to the idea that we should throw away the current constitution and create a new one,” he said. “It’s a workable document, and it has been guiding what we are doing in Nigeria so far.”
While acknowledging its flaws, Nwoko stressed that no constitution in the world is perfect. “All you can do is propose amendments and hope that those amendments go through so that whatever the wishes of the people are can be reflected,” he added.
His position comes amid rising demands from civil society groups and political voices urging the adoption of a fresh constitution to address Nigeria’s structural and governance challenges.
The National Assembly has already commenced a review process focusing on key areas such as devolution of powers, local government autonomy, and judicial reforms.
