Dr. Kingsley Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has stated that Nigerian leaders must recognize that it is nearly impossible to fix the nation’s economy without drafting a new constitution.
Moghalu made this statement on Monday via social media, in response to President Bola Tinubu’s comments following a recent visit by a group of prominent Nigerians known as The Patriots, led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku.
After their meeting on Friday, Anyaoku, speaking to State House correspondents, urged the president to submit an executive bill to the National Assembly for a national referendum on a ‘pluralistic constitution.’
Presidential media aide Ajuri Ngelale issued a statement quoting Tinubu, who assured the group that their request for a national constituent assembly to draft a new constitution would be considered. However, the president emphasized that preventing chaos is essential for the nation’s progress, stating, “My current focus is on economic reform, which is my top priority. Once this is in place, I will explore other options, including the constitutional review suggested by you and others.”
In his Monday statement, Moghalu expressed disagreement with the president’s remarks.
“I respectfully disagree with President Bola Tinubu’s response to the recent visit by The Patriots, led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, during which the group (of which I am a member) emphasized the urgent need for a new Constitution for Nigeria and proposed specific steps to achieve this,” Moghalu said.
He acknowledged that Tinubu received the distinguished statesmen with due respect and noted, “This is a group I cannot ignore.” However, Moghalu criticized the president’s prioritization of economic reform over constitutional change, hoping that the government would take real action rather than just offer words.
Moghalu argued that Nigerian leaders fail to understand that fundamentally fixing the economy will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, without a new people’s constitution based on real federalism and a regional structure of 6-12 regions.
“The issue,” Moghalu explained, “is that Nigeria is a country but not yet a nation. There is no unity of purpose, no cohesive worldview, and this is because the country holds different meanings for different groups. The very essence of Nigeria, what it truly is—contrary to the ‘one indivisible entity’ often proclaimed by its leaders—is fundamentally contested.”
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