Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has said that Nigeria is in urgent need of a Constitution that not only allows democracy but actively strengthens and enables it.
Kalu stated this on Monday during a consultative meeting with leaders of political parties organised by the House Committee on Constitution Review.
Also speaking at the event, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said that the growing call for state policing across the country should not be seen as rebellion, but cautioned that in pursuing safety, Nigerians must not sacrifice their freedom.
Kalu lamented that the cooperative democracy envisioned twenty-six years ago has yet to fully materialise, adding that the country must now confront tough questions about its constitutional framework.
‘We must ask ourselves: Is our Constitution still fit for purpose? Does it reflect the Nigeria we are today, or is it still anchored to the Nigeria of a bygone era?’ he said.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) used the occasion to call for the restoration of direct constitutional funding for political parties to ensure a level playing field during elections.
However, the meeting witnessed the absence of several top party leaders, including the National Chairmen and Secretaries of major political parties such as the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Labour Party, though their women leaders were in attendance.
Kalu said, ‘Twenty-six years ago, Nigeria returned to democratic governance under the 1999 Constitution. It was a moment of great expectation. After decades of military rule, we dared to believe that a new era of freedom, justice, and prosperity was finally within reach.
‘The Constitution we adopted was meant to be the bedrock of a new Nigeria, a Nigeria where power belonged to the people, where rights were guaranteed, and where institutions served the common good. Twenty-six years on, has this promise been fulfilled? Yes, Nigeria today is more democratic than ever before. We have conducted seven successive general elections.
‘Power has changed hands peacefully between parties. Our civil society is vibrant. Our media is free. Our judiciary, though tested, remains independent. On the one hand, our democracy has deepened. Political parties like yours have become the primary vehicles through which Nigerians participate in governance.
‘Millions cast their votes in every election cycle, believing, rightly, that their choices matter. On the other hand, too many Nigerians feel left behind. Women remain severely underrepresented in our political structures, despite constituting half our population. Our local governments, the closest tier of government to the people, remain weak and financially dependent.
‘Electoral disputes drag on for years, creating uncertainty and undermining public confidence. The cooperative democracy we imagined twenty-six years ago has not fully materialized. Instead, we find ourselves in a moment of reckoning. A moment where we must ask: is our Constitution still fit for purpose? Does it reflect the Nigeria we are today, or is it anchored to the Nigeria of a bygone era?
‘As leaders of Nigeria’s political parties, you face this question every day. You see the gaps. You feel the frustrations. You hear the voices of ordinary Nigerians demanding more from their democracy. And that is precisely why you are here today.
‘Political parties are not just participants in our democracy; you are its backbone. You recruit candidates. You mobilize voters. You articulate competing visions for our nation’s future. You are the bridge between government and the governed. If constitutional amendments are to be legitimate, they must have your buy-in.
‘If they are to be effective, they must address the challenges you face on the ground. If they are to endure, they must reflect a broad consensus that transcends party lines. This is why we have invited you here today: not as adversaries, but as partners in nation-building.
‘Let me be clear about what is at stake. Before us are critical amendment bills that will define the trajectory of our democracy for the next generation.
‘These are not abstract legal propositions. These are reforms that go to the heart of what it means to be a democracy. And they require your input. We recognize that your parties represent diverse ideologies and constituencies.
‘You will not agree on everything. That is the beauty of democracy. But I am asking you today to focus on what unites us, not what divides us. We all want a Nigeria where elections are free, fair, and credible. We all want a Nigeria where women have an equal seat at the table.
‘We all want a Nigeria where local governments work, where federalism is real, and where our Constitution commands the respect and allegiance of every citizen. These are not partisan issues. These are Nigerian issues. The world is changing. So must we.
‘In the last twenty-six years, Nigeria’s democracy has relied on the goodwill of a few committed leaders to survive. But goodwill alone is not enough. We need strong institutions. We need clear rules. We need a Constitution that does not just permit democracy, but actively enables it. This is our moment to get it right.
‘The committee has worked tirelessly to ensure this process is inclusive. We have consulted widely. We have listened carefully. But the final word does not rest with us alone’.
‘A constitution is not just a legal document. It is a social contract. It is a promise we make to each other about the kind of country we want to build. And that promise must be one we all believe in. Our values do not change. Nigeria will remain a democracy. But to sustain our democracy in a changing world, we must change the way it operates.
‘We must give women their rightful place in governance. We must empower local governments to serve their people. We must make our elections credible and our courts efficient. This is the work before us, and it is work we cannot do without you’.
Represented by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, the Senate President assured that the National Assembly will work with the Executive and other stakeholders to give Nigerians the Constitution it deserves.
Akpabio said, ‘We are here because we share one belief – which our Constitution must live, breathe, and grow with the times’, and commended the House Committee on Constitution Review for their efforts, describing them as true patriots.
He said, ‘You have called the nation to reflection, not reaction; to reform, not rhetoric. This engagement with political parties is not routine – it is historic. It says to the world that Nigeria’s democracy is alive and still learning, still listening, leading.
‘We are gathered to examine the heartbeats of our Republic – justice, security, inclusion, and accountability. The issues before us, judicial and electoral reforms, local government autonomy, special seats for women, state policing, and human rights, are not items on a checklist; they are the pillars of a nation still under construction.
‘Each one of them speaks to a larger question: how do we make democracy not only endure but deliver?
‘An election is not a ceremony; it is the soul of democracy. And justice is not a luxury; it is the backbone of peace. When elections fail, trust dies. When justice delays, faith decays. That is why we must renew both our ballots and our benches.
‘We must strengthen INEC, shield our courts from corruption, and restore the people’s confidence in their institutions. In India, reforms made voting accessible even in the remotest villages. In South Africa, the Constitution enshrines judicial independence as sacred. We can do the same – not by copying others, but by perfecting ourselves.
‘True federalism begins at the grassroots. If the government does not work in the village, it has failed in the capital. We must free our local governments from the chains of dependency. Development must have a human face – and that face must be visible in every ward, every street, every home.
‘What of the women of Nigeria- the pillars of every family, the architects of every community? A democracy that sidelines its women weakens itself.
‘Across the world, the evidence is clear: in Rwanda, women lead more than sixty percent of parliament; in Finland, women shape policy and governance with distinction. Where women rise, nations thrive. It is time for Nigeria to move from the language of sympathy to the policy of inclusion.
‘Security, too, must evolve. It must be local before it can be national. A nation as vast as ours cannot be protected from a single command post. The call for state policing is not rebellion; it is realism. In the United States, in India, and even in Brazil, local policing works side by side with national forces – coordinated, not conflicting. But in seeking safety, we must not sacrifice freedom.
‘The hand that guards must not gag. The shield of the state must never become a sword against its citizens’.
The Senate President assured that the National Assembly stands ready to collaborate with the Executive and all stakeholders in reforming the nation’s laws.
He said further that it is the responsibility of the lawmakers ‘not to preserve power, but to protect the people. Our mission is not to obstruct, but to construct – laws that heal, not harden; reforms that renew, not rupture. This review process is proof that democracy is not a monument; it is a movement. Each generation must refine it, renew it, and make it better than they found it’.
He argued, ‘The Constitution is not a piece of paper; it is the promise of a people. Let us therefore rise above party lines and regional divides. Let us remember that the strength of Nigeria lies not in her oil or land, but in her people and in their will to build together.
While addressing the House Committee, the Senate President said, ‘You remind us that democracy is not self-sustaining – it must be constantly defended and deliberately deepened.
‘If we do this – if we stay true to the ideals of justice, inclusion, and accountability – then future generations will say of us: here were leaders who did not merely speak of change, but made it. Here were men and women who did not merely amend the Constitution, but renewed the nation’.
Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, the umbrella body of political parties in the country, Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle, said issues of Judicial and Electoral Reforms, Local Government Reforms, Special Seats for Women, State Policing and Human Rights and Justice are part of broader issues for consideration in the ongoing Constitution and Electoral Act Amendments.
He said, ‘As the umbrella body of all registered political parties in Nigeria, IPAC has been at the vanguard for Constitution and Electoral Act Amendments with a view to consolidating, deepening, and strengthening the nation’s democracy. This is imperative after flaws were witnessed in each election cycle.
‘As the platform that produces all elected public officers, IPAC is committed to ensuring that the electoral process is fair, transparent, and inclusive, and all political parties are given a level playing field in electoral contests.
‘We believe that a revised Electoral Act and Constitution amendments preceding the 2027 general election will address identified concerns as well as significantly enhance the credibility and integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process, promote political stability, and strengthen democratic governance.’
Dantalle called for the scrapping of the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and vesting the responsibility of conducting all 774 Local Government elections on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said, ‘IPAC has been championing Local Government autonomy. Politics is local, citizens should be encouraged to actively participate in grassroots politics that guarantee free, fair, and credible Local Government elections.’
They are also advocating ‘the removal of the power to appoint the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Commission Secretary and National Commissioners from the executive to promote the independence of the Commission.
‘Setting up of an Independent Appointment Committee (IAC) composed of representatives from all registered Political Parties and Civil Society Organizations, the National Judicial Council, and a Committee of the National Assembly to be appointed by both the majority and minority arms of the Senate and House of
Representatives, thereby ensuring that all parties have representatives in the Independent Appointment Committee.
‘Restoration of funding of political parties in Nigeria to provide a level playing ground for all political parties. The amendment should provide a mechanism to ensure that political parties maintain transparent financial records and accounting practices.
‘IPAC supports the bill as proposed by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. When a section of society is under-represented in policy discussions, they feel marginalised’.
Also, IPAC is throwing its weight behind the establishment of the Electoral Offences Commission to try electoral offenders. This will help to curb electoral offences, including vote buying and selling, violence, ballot snatching, and falsification of results’.
While recognising the role of the Judiciary in the sustenance of democracy, Dantalle said the body was of the view that any seat vacated due to decamping, resignation, or death should be filled by the original winning political party through a replacement process, rather than a very expensive, torturous election.