1999 constitution has make politics number one profession in Nigeria – SAN

A renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Robert Clarke has slammed the existence of the 1999 Constitution as the cause of the issues bedeviling the country.

Clarke who spoke on Monday during an interview on Arise TV, accused the political class of preferring the current status quo due to their selfish ambitions.

“When one looks at the number of people rushing around for elective positions, it goes to show that politics is the number one profession in Nigeria which is why so many youths yearn to be politicians.

According to him, the document serves the needs of politicians, but does not meet that of Nigerians.

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According to the SAN, this is evidenced in the high number of politicians jostling for elective posts despite the exorbitant amounts of nomination forms levied by the political parties.

“This is because, for the past 22 years, this democracy is the worse form of government the country has been through for the past 60 years. The country is in the doldrums because the system allows the leaders to steal monies unrepentantly

“When one looks at the number of people rushing around for elective positions, it goes to show that politics is the number one profession in Nigeria which is why so many youths yearn to be politicians.

“I have been complaining for years that we have a rotten Constitution which has allowed so much impunity due to the powers reposed to the President and the Governors. All the problems we have is because the Constitution does not serve the people but the politicians. This is why they have been able to amass wealth to the detriment of the people.

He further detailed steps that could be undertaken by President Muhammadu Buhari in order to revamp the ‘rotten’ constitution for the benefit of the country.

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“President Muhammadu Buhari should pass a bill to the National Assembly in order to effect a constitutional change, which will ensure a resolution and referendum for the people to look into it. This will ensure the NASS enforces the changes and I pray the President does this before the 2023 elections,” Clarke stated.

Clarke also lamented that the current democracy being practised by the country was the worst in her history, retrogressing the economy in the process.

“The amount of monies levied on nomination forms means that the politicians are being told to sow in order to reap the benefits once they win elective posts but to be clear, it is constitutional and the law allows them but what and where is the place of morality?

“The political parties have the right to ask for monies but it is unfortunate that there is no area of the Nigerian life to be happy about; the politicians are a disgrace. Nigeria today is worse than where it was compared to 1982,” Clark added.