A former governor of Akwa Ibom State and member of The Patriots, Victor Attah, has warned that President Bola Tinubu risks leaving Nigeria in a worse state if he exits office without ensuring the country gets a new constitution.

Attah, who described the 1999 Constitution as fundamentally flawed and unsuitable for a diverse nation like Nigeria, called for an entirely new, people-driven constitution to replace what he termed a “unitary system masquerading as federalism.”

He spoke ahead of a planned national political summit on the future of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy, scheduled to be held from July 15 to 17 in Abuja, under the leadership of former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku.

According to Attah, Tinubu was in the best position to champion constitutional reform, having personally experienced what he called the “excesses” of the current system during his time as governor of Lagos State.

Attah said, “This particular President is in the best position to do it because he suffered the consequences of the type of thing that this Constitution allows to happen. His local government money was seized unconstitutionally.

“So he is really in the best position to do it, and I’m hoping that he will do it because if he doesn’t do it, he would have left a worse Nigeria than he met.”

He insisted that any attempt to amend the 1999 Constitution would be futile, arguing instead for a comprehensive rewrite.

“We cannot amend what is so fundamentally bad. We need a completely new constitution,” he said.

He urged the National Assembly to pass a bill that would enable the Patriots and other civic groups to convene a sovereign national conference with representation from all ethnic nationalities and socio-cultural groups across the country.

“That conference will have the sovereign right to sit down and prepare a proper constitution… so that it is a Nigerian Constitution. The ‘We’ in the present constitution is just a blatant lie,” he said.

According to the former governor, the current constitutional structure heavily concentrates power in the hands of the Federal Government, citing the Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, where out of 96 items, 63 are on the Exclusive Legislative List.

“It is just handing a whole country like Nigeria to one person to administer. It cannot work,” he said.

Attah also cautioned against piecemeal reforms, such as the push for state police, arguing that such demands will not resolve the systemic issues rooted in the existing Constitution.

“Today, people are shouting for the state police. We cannot say this is necessary today, and another thing tomorrow. Let us do a comprehensive rewrite of this constitution that will bring in certain safeguards that don’t exist in the present Constitution,” he said.

He proposed a timeline of six months for drafting a new constitution through a compact constitutional college and a subsequent national referendum.

“This can be done, including the referendum, in six months. If we can create a small college of people to do this, then we will subject it to a referendum. That is where the will of the people will be exercised,” he stated.

Attah further expressed strong support for a return to a parliamentary system of government, saying it offered better leadership recruitment, party accountability, and internal democracy.

“When we had a parliamentary system, leadership recruitment meant you grew within the party. The party recognised that you’re in a position to implement their philosophy and principles, and be able to serve the people according to how they think the people should be served,” he said.

“But today, you can jump from here to there and form a coalition and become the leader of that party. That is not what a party should be. It is now just a platform for getting a ticket to contest an election.”

He said the loss of internal democracy in political parties had led to instability in governance and weakened the democratic process. “All the groups that call themselves parties have been captured by cliques, and these cliques determine who gets the ticket, who contests the election,” he said.

Attah also criticised the refusal to allow independent candidacy, stating that its absence undermined voter freedom and political inclusion.

“Why should we refuse to have independent candidature?” he asked.

He lamented the concentration of power in the presidency, alleging that the current system enables authoritarian tendencies. “The present Constitution creates a dictator that can become a monster and do whatever he pleases, and that is not what we want. We want a democracy, and that democracy can only come out of a federal arrangement,” he added.

He concluded by warning that unless sovereignty is returned to the people through a new Constitution, Nigeria’s progress will remain stunted.

“There is no incentive for productivity. As long as we are using the feeding bottle method, there can be no growth. Whether you produce or not, you still receive allocations. So, there is no competition, and without competition, there is no development,” he said.