- Former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Wole Olanipekun, has described the 1999 constitution as fake
- Olanipekun said former President Olusegun Obasanjo almost punched him in 2002 when he advised him to amend the constitution.
- The senior advocate of Nigeria appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to restructure the country
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering metro and government policy
Ago-Iwoye, Ogun state – Former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Wole Olanipekun, SAN has narrated how ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo almost punched him in 2002.
As reported by Daily Trust, Olanipekun said the incident happened when he led an NBA member delegation to Obasanjo, advising him to commence the process of amending the constitution.
He stated this while delivering a lecture titled: “Mass Exodus of Human Capital in Nigeria: An Anatomical Analysis of the Causes and Effects” at the 32nd and 33rd convocation lecture of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun state on Wednesday, January 31.
According to The Punch, Olanipekun, the lawyer who defended President Bola Tinubu at the presidential tribunal said:
“I, as president of the NBA, I led a delegation of the association to president Obasanjo in 2002, he almost boxed me, I’m here in Ogun State and I’m saying this, he is still alive, he said ‘no you can’t change it’, I said Mr. President, let us seize this opportunity to do it.”
He called on President Tinubu to restructure the country, describing the 1999 constitution as “fake” and lacking the required elements to address the various challenges confronting Nigeria.
“We also appeal to the powers that be now, to our president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the time for us to restructure this country is now if we do not do it, these children that we have abroad might not return home, they won’t come here.”
Ex-PDP chairman says Atiku will restructure Nigeria
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Okwesilieze Nwodo, a former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, will restructure the country within six months.
The Deputy Director, Research and Strategy of the Atiku-Okowa Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), made the comment while representing Atiku at an event in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Friday, February 4, 2023.
Source: Legit.ng