Dr. Akin Fapohunda, a member of the Joint Secretariat of the National Political Summit, has declared Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution “not fit for purpose,” arguing that only a new, people-driven constitution can pull the nation out of its cycle of instability and poor governance.

Speaking on ARISE News on Thursday, Fapohunda — a member of the Patriots Group and Director of Research at Afenifere — dismissed the ongoing constitutional amendment by the National Assembly as “a colossal waste of time and money.”

“The political class is deaf and dumb to reason,” he said. “They’re tinkering with a faulty document — amending 74 bills through 36 assemblies, creating 46 new states, and altering over 80 sections. It’s an exercise in futility.”

He faulted the 1999 Constitution for failing to entrench true federalism and called for a decentralised governance model that empowers the six geopolitical zones to function as autonomous regions within a restructured federation.

“The federal government should handle only national functions — like foreign affairs, currency, and defence. Why should the Minister of Works be travelling around inspecting roads? That’s not governance,” he remarked.

Fapohunda revealed that the Patriots Group had drafted a People’s Constitution proposing a parliamentary system, where leaders emerge through an electoral college rather than direct elections, to cut costs and reduce corruption.

He urged President Bola Tinubu to adopt the draft and forward it to the National Assembly, noting that with political will, a referendum could be held by May 2026 and a new constitution proclaimed by October 1.

“The 1999 Constitution was never negotiated by Nigerians. It’s time to return sovereignty to the people,” he asserted, warning that elite silence and lack of moral leadership could fuel public unrest.

Calling out the self-serving political class, he said: “Many spend ₦50 million to contest for Senate and then rush to Abuja to recoup their investment. They’re not serving the people — they’re serving themselves.”

Fapohunda concluded by expressing cautious optimism: “I am pessimistically optimistic — but our draft constitution offers a rare chance to rebuild this nation on fairness, inclusion, and accountability.”