Scholars International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice (SIJLCJ)
Volume-2 | Issue-10 | 318-325
Review Article
The Sixth National Assembly and Constitutional Amendment in Nigeria- A New Era or a Fait Accompli?
Hassan I. Adebowale
Published : Oct. 27, 2019
Abstract
The history of constitutional development in Nigeria reveals the tortuous road the legislators have taken to bestow a legacy of a befitting Constitution. Constitutional provisions on amendment are tedious, and sometimes, manifestly insurmountable. It therefore behoves the National Assembly to painstakingly adhere to the various provisions of the Constitution in order to fill the lacunae in the Nigeria corpus juris which has constantly plagued the country’s political, judicial and socio-economic sectors. From the colonial era, it has always been the same story of exploring different types of constitution. This “try and error” approach has never yielded any acceptable grundnorm for the Federal Government of Nigeria. The peculiar composition of Nigeria as a multilingual, multi-culture and religiously diversified country has virtually been cited as the key issue in Nigeria’s tortuous road to a satisfactory constitutional achievement. The much touted “unity in diversity” has proved to be nothing more than political slogan. With the pervasive cry for restructuring in Nigeria, and the continuous failure of successive governments to find sustainable solutions to the yearnings and cravings of the citizenry, this writer looks back at where it all went wrong. This article identifies the obvious sections of the Constitution to be amended by the National Assembly. The author commends the effort of the defunct Sixth National Assembly by its wide consultation and vigorous drive to sensitize numerous interest groups in Nigeria. The general conclusion is based on the views of constitutional experts in Nigeria and some notable judicial pronouncements. The recommendation, however, is that some identified provisions of the Constitution needs further amendment to simplify the mode of constitutional amendment in the nearest future.