Human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, says the 1999 constitution is not a codified document worthy of guiding the management of Nigeria’s affairs.
Falana, who spoke during the one year remembrance programme for the late Publicity Secretary of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Yinka Odumakin, described the 1999 as fraudulent.
Falana suggested that the 1999 constitution should be referred to as decree 24 on 1999 as “it was not duly signed.”
He averred that the plethora of amendment of the constitution by the national assembly was illegal.
He added that the constitution was foisted on Nigerians by former head state General Abdulsalam Abubakar, stressing that no conscious effort had been made to ditch it and write new one because present crop of politicians were benefiting from the anomaly.
He said: “What the National Assembly has continued to do is to amend illegality. The so-called 1999 constitution is really decree 24 of 1999. When you see the so-called constitution, you will not the signature of the man who signed the law, that’s the fraud.
“When you see a law, the name of the person who signed it should be there with the date.
“Decree 24 of 1999 was promulgated by General Abdulsalam Abubakar on the 5th of May 1999 but today you will not see his name on it. It’s a fraudulent document.
“The decree was imposed on us the last set of military dictators in Nigeria headed by Gen. Abubakar and because that document is okay for members of the ruling class regardless of their political parties, ethic regional or religious inclination, they are all comfortable with the document so they can’t do anything about it including all those we are campaigning today to be President.
“It is to retain the status quo and perhaps adjust it here and there, that is the only thing they are saying, so those who are contesting particularly on the platform of the ruling party are saying we are going to continue the programme of the Buhari administration that has put our country in problem.
“Nigeria has become a huge joke in the committee of nations and so for any set of people to say they want to package his rickety vehicle and begin to panel beat it, it’s not going to move.”