The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has called for the immediate convocation of a Sovereign National Conference to produce what it described as a truly people-driven constitution that reflects the aspirations, diversity and democratic values of Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the organisation argued that none of Nigeria’s constitutions has emerged from the sovereign will of the people, insisting that the country’s constitutional evolution has largely been shaped by colonial authorities and successive military governments.
The statement, signed by the factional President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Omenazu Jackson, maintained that Nigeria’s constitutional history lacks the legitimacy that comes from broad public participation and approval through a referendum.
According to the group, colonial constitutions—including the Clifford Constitution of 1922, Richards Constitution of 1946, Macpherson Constitution of 1951 and Lyttleton Constitution of 1954—were crafted by the British colonial administration to advance imperial interests rather than reflect the wishes of Nigerians.
Ohanaeze further argued that although the Independence Constitution of 1960 and the Republican Constitution of 1963 marked important political milestones, they were products of elite negotiations rooted in colonial structures rather than the outcome of a sovereign constituent process involving the Nigerian people.
The organisation also faulted the 1979 Constitution, the aborted 1989 constitutional experiment and the current 1999 Constitution, describing them as products of military rule that were never subjected to the direct approval of Nigerians.
It contended that the absence of a genuinely people-made constitution has contributed to persistent national debates over federalism, devolution of powers, resource control, fiscal justice, state police, electoral reforms and national unity.
Ohanaeze insisted that Nigeria could no longer continue to operate under what it described as a constitutional framework lacking popular legitimacy.
“A truly democratic nation must be governed by a Constitution made by the people, for the people, and with the full consent of the people,” the organisation stated.
It proposed the convening of a Sovereign National Conference where Nigerians would collectively determine the country’s political structure, governance framework and constitutional future.
The group recommended that each ethnic nationality should nominate and sponsor its own delegates without financial support or interference from any level of government.
It also proposed equal representation for all ethnic nationalities, regardless of population or geographical size, to guarantee fairness and mutual respect throughout the deliberations.
According to Ohanaeze, governments at all levels should neither appoint nor influence delegates, while the conference should independently determine its venue, procedures, committees and timetable.
The organisation further argued that the resolutions reached by the conference should not be altered or rejected by any arm of government, insisting that the constitution adopted by delegates should automatically become Nigeria’s supreme law.
Ohanaeze urged the Federal Government, the National Assembly, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to support the initiative, describing it as a necessary step toward achieving lasting peace, justice and national renewal.
“The time has come for Nigerians to sit together, in sincerity and patriotism, to determine the structure, principles and future of their country,” the statement added.