Yoruba forum seeks return of 1963 Constitution

A socio-cultural group, the Yoruba Peoples Forum (YPF), has called on President Bola Tinubu to take steps to return Nigeria to the 1963 Republican Constitution in order to reposition the country.

The group made the appeal in a statement on Monday in Lagos, jointly signed by its chairman, Mr. Banji Ayiloge, and the general secretary, Mr. Dipo Akinsiku.

The forum said that many concerned citizens across regions were “no longer interested in cosmetically tinkering with the objectionable 1999 Nigerian constitution.”

“What they fervently desire is for President Tinubu to return to the 1963 Republican Constitution, a beacon of hope violently jettisoned by the military,” the YPF said.

The forumsaid it was in support of calls for meaningful reforms by the present administration.

The YPF said that reforms must, however,include a return to the regional government negotiated and agreed upon by Nigeria’s founding fathers.

The forum noted that Sir Ahmadu Bello, a former Premier of Northern Nigeria, believed strongly in autonomous regions.

The YPF recalled that Bello’s belief made him agree with leaders like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, and others to back the regional government.

“For Nigeria to make economic and political progress, the 1999 constitution must be scrapped.

“A new constitution, based mainly on the 1963 constitution, must be passed with the people’s mandate and enacted after a referendum.

“Without a new constitution based primarily on the 1963 Constitution, Nigeria will continue to hover in the doldrums,” the forum said.

The group said that all parts of Nigeria, instead of playing politics of ethnicity and self-centredness, should focus on finding solutions that would help uplift the people.

“It is about time they (ethnic groups) stopped treating the constitution inspired by military decree number 24 as sacrosanct.

“YPF urgently calls on President Bola Tinubu to restore the country to a regional government.

“We believe this is the only solution to the current hunger and despair occasioned by an unworkable and overbearing federal government,” the forum said.

The YPF noted that the 1963 Constitution was the surest way to progress.

“The President must start, without any delay, the process of returning to the system of government that all segments of Nigeria agreed to before and immediately after independence.

“This, we believe, will return Nigeria to the path of progress and development.

“We boldly say Nigerians of all shades of opinion are ready to back the president if he shows exemplary leadership and leads the country in monumental reform and progress,” the group said.