Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has kicked against the ongoing constitutional amendment process by the Federal Government, describing it as “cosmetic, unrealistic, and self-serving.”
The group accused political elites of pushing for the creation of 46 new states to expand their access to public funds and security votes rather than to improve governance or strengthen the federation.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Afenifere’s Director of Research, Dr. Akin Fapohunda, said the current amendment effort — which seeks to alter more than 70 sections and 83 clauses of the 1999 Constitution — is “headed for failure.”
“They want to create 46 new states so there will be security votes for the governors; there will be money to buy SUVs. All of them want to be governors in these states,” Fapohunda alleged.
“Maybe I’m being uncharitable, but they’ve given us enough reason to believe they are not serious. The little things they are putting there are just cosmetics; they are of no use.”
Fapohunda questioned the feasibility of the National Assembly’s timeline to conclude the amendment process before the next general elections, warning that it lacked both capacity and sincerity of purpose.
“What the Federal Government wants to do is to amend the Constitution in about 74 places and change 83 clauses. Do they have the capacity to do that in the next six months before the next election?” he asked.
“Do the 36 state assemblies have the brain to process 70-something bills in three to six months? The whole system is headed for the garbage can.”
The Federal Government, through the House of Representatives, had last month announced plans to review the 1999 Constitution to promote inclusive governance and strengthen national unity.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen had pledged that the House would work with state assemblies, the executive, and the public to ensure the process was transparent and effective.
But Afenifere maintained that no amendment could address Nigeria’s deep-rooted structural imbalance without genuine restructuring and decentralisation of power.
“What is state police? The call needs to be decentralised entirely,” Fapohunda said.
“We must codify a true federal constitution and separate the Abuja constitution from that of the second-tier governments. Each geopolitical zone should have its own constitution reflecting its peculiarities.”
The Afenifere chieftain outlined a four-point reform blueprint, which he said could transform Nigeria within six months.
These include: adoption of a true federal constitution for the six geopolitical zones; reduction of items on the Exclusive Legislative List from 68 to 12; devolution of powers to regional governments; and institution of a referendum panel to gather citizens’ input before adoption.
He added that such reforms would ease tensions, promote equity, and empower regions to control their natural resources.
“Once that happens, the temperature will drop. The North will control their gold, the South-West their IT, the South-South their oil, and people will stop fighting to control Abuja,” he stated.
Fapohunda also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s governance approach, accusing him of centralising power in Abuja while neglecting the principles of true federalism.
“Abuja has no business with roads, schools, or hospitals — only with foreign relations, passports, and currency. Even the military structure should be decentralised,” he added.
Afenifere, which has consistently championed restructuring and regional autonomy, insisted that piecemeal amendments cannot resolve Nigeria’s political instability or promote genuine national development.
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