The National Assembly, Constitution Amendment and Civil Society Expectations

Abstract

Nigeria began its fourth republic in May 1999 after a long spell of military dictatorship. The military gave the country a constitution that was not process-led at the point of exit from the political scene; it was undemocratic and largely repudiated by a large section of the public. This fact has led to various efforts at remediation. The civil society and incumbent state actors are involved in this process. This essay overviews the ongoing constitution amendment process by the National Assembly in Nigeria. While recognising the merits in the exercise depicted in the provisions for controversial issues such as independent candidacy, authorisation of expenditure, citizenship and socio-economic rights, it notes the absence of concurrence on them by the two chambers of the National Assembly. Detailed as the amendment would appear, it is argued that it has not addressed the central issues affecting the country, namely, the structure of the state and government. The essay concludes that the omission will return to trouble the polity.