Afenifere, APC Senator Differ on Constitution Review

By Emma Okonji

The senator representing Bauchi North on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa, has disagreed with the Pan-Yoruba Socio-Political Organisation, Afenifere, over the ongoing constitution review process.

While the leader of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has faulted the constitution review process by the National Assembly, insisting it was a waste of time and energy, Bulkachuwa said the review was a welcome development that would address the needs of all Nigerians.

The duo spoke separately last night on a national television programme monitored by THISDAY Newspapers.

Although Adebanjo argued that the 1999 constitution, which is currently in use and under review by the National Assembly, was handed over to Nigerians by the military and should be discarded, to enable Nigerians begin the process of developing an entire new constitution, Bulkachuwa said it had never happened anywhere in the world, where an existing constitution that used by several civilian governments, would be entirely thrown out just because some minority voices called for a new constitution.

According to Adebanjo, “The 1999 Constitution that was handed over to us by the military, is fraudulent and we are rejecting it because it is not the people’s constitution and it does not represent the interest of the people. We cannot review a constitution that is not made by the people. This government must either give Nigerians the 1963 Constitution that was written by civilians for Nigerians, or allow the country to develop a new constitution because Nigerians can no longer accept the constitution that was forced on Nigerians by the military.”

He said government should call for a national conference where Nigerians would come from all walks of life to re-write the constitution that would address the needs of the people.

Bulkachuwa, who completely disagreed with the views of Adebanjo, said Afenifere members were drifting from the general belief of one Nigeria, to have faulted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that had been defended by past civilian governments.

“I think Adebanjo has lost touch with reality and Nigerians will not allow him to compel the country to descend so low to ethnic bigotry. If Adebanjo and Afenifere think otherwise of the constitution, they can go to court to contest it. The National Assembly is doing its job by calling for review of the constitution and Nigerians should allow them to do their job. It is true that the 1999 Constitution was reviewed in the past by military governments, but that does not warrant discarding the entire constitution. Several civilian governments have amended the constitution to meet the needs of civilians and that is the right thing to do and not to disown the entire constitution,” Bulkachuwa said.

Reacting to the statement of President Buhari that he would deal with Eastern agitators in the manner they understand, Adebanjo said: “People voted for Buhari from all the 36 states of the country and he should therefore not threaten any state with words of war, just because they expressed their grievances about marginalisation and bad governance.”

He said words of threat from the president of the country would not address the insecurity challenges in the country and advised the president to show love and peace to all Nigerians irrespective of their cultural inclinations.

He said Nigerians were tired of bad governance and that they have the right to complain. “When I said President Buhari had a private agenda to wipe away all those who are not Fulanis, some Nigerians did not believe me but that is what is playing out today,” Adebanjo said, adding that he has evidences to back his statements against Buhari.

Bulkachuwa who did not see anything wrong in the statement made by Buhari, said the agitators exhibited criminal actions by killing people and burning down government institutions, adding that the federal government would not succumb to their wishes to divide the country, but would use the constitutional power to resist all agitators and bring them to order.