Ohanaeze Ndigbo demands sovereign national conference for new constitution

Daniel Adaji

The apex Igbo sociocultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has called on the Federal Government to immediately convene a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) to draft a new constitution that reflects the collective aspirations of Nigerians.

Chief Jackson Omenazu, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, made this demand in a press release, emphasizing that Nigeria’s current governance structure is deeply flawed due to the “Military-imposed 1999 Constitution which we consider a receipt for anarchy.”

He warned that failure to convene an SNC could “continue to foster conditions ripe for disintegration, deprivation, fears, anger, and exploitation by a cadre of political elites.”

Ohanaeze Ndigbo asserts that a truly sovereign conference should be independent of government influence and should include “representatives from the over 350 unique ethnic nations that were criminally amalgamated by the British colonist.” These representatives would be responsible for drafting a constitution that Nigerians can genuinely pledge allegiance to.

“We have pretentiously lived together for over 100 years, enduring a cohabitant relationship that has deferred all reasonable concept as a people due to the absence of a people’s Constitution,” Chief Omenazu stated.

He lamented that Nigerians had been forced to “help the colonist to foist on ourselves an alien Constitution with its attendant sad consequences.”

Ohanaeze Ndigbo strongly criticized the excessive powers granted to the President under the 1999 Constitution, stating that “the present Nigerian Presidential system singularly positions the President as one of the most powerful unchecked and unquestionable leaders in the world, which is absurd and lacks acceptable democratic ingredients.”

The group also expressed dismay over the perceived weakness of the 10th National Assembly, describing it as “a mere rubber stamp—an institution weakened by compromise, and thus incapable of performing its essential functions to check the excesses of the Executive branch.”

To ensure the independence of the conference, Ohanaeze Ndigbo proposed several conditions, including equal representation of all ethnic nationalities, regardless of size.

Independent sponsorship of delegates by their ethnic groups. Complete autonomy in deciding the venue, leadership, and security arrangements.

No financial or logistical support from the Federal, State, or Local governments. Legal immunity for ethnic groups in selecting their delegates. Presidential proclamation of the final document without interference from the National Assembly.

“Neither the President nor the National Assembly has any right to amend or vet the outcome of the SNC document,” Omenazu emphasized.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo urged President Bola Tinubu to seize the opportunity to initiate a genuine constitutional reform process.

The organization acknowledged some recent government initiatives, such as the return to the old national anthem and the creation of six Geopolitical Development Commissions, as steps towards regionalism, but stressed that they were not enough.

“Without the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference—one which allows Nigerians to author their own governing document—the deep-seated flaws of the 1999 Constitution will persistently threaten not only Nigeria’s national unity but also the stability of our democracy,” Chief Omenazu warned.

He called on all advocates of democracy, patriots of decency, and lovers of Nigeria to “rally vociferously for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference.”

“We hope for a nation where all will be proud to say I am a Nigerian,” he added.