Vanguard (Lagos)
26 June 2008
Elder statesman, Chief Anthony Enahoro, wife of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Hajia Mujaheedat Dokubo Asari, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike and three others have requested an Abuja High Court to issue an order stopping the National Assembly from amending the 1999 Constitution.
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Every constitution has an inbuilt procedure for its ammendment,and our own is not different.If people have pointed out certain flaws in the 1999 constitution by all means let us follow the procedure.It is not a matter for litigation in the court.I am expecting such things as the creation of the house of chiefs in the states to have bi-cameral legislatures,and the entrenchment of two party system,revision of our electoral system .On no account should the four year term for the president be changed.It is like that in England, USA,and most of the stable democrecies from where we borrowed our model.
From a legal point of view, the question that the plantiff is raising is in the right direction. We need to determine whether or not the 1999 Constitution actually represents what it says when it begins with the phrase, "We the Nigerian people...," before we start thinking of amending it. However the case may be decided, the question itself has locus standi.