The founder and chancellor, Afe Babalola University, ABUAD, Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, has said any election conducted under the 1999 Constitution cannot produce leaders with new ideas.
He spoke yesterday at a press conference held in the university in Ado-Ekiti on the topic: “Nigeria’s Huge External Debt and the 1999 Constitution – 2023 in Perspective”.
Babalola said it would rather “merely” result in recycling the same people who had brought Nigeria to grinding poverty, unemployment, underfunded education, insecurity and huge external debt.
He added that “A new constitution is imperative. Our bitter experience since 1999 has taught us that we are in urgent need of a new constitution which should provide for stringent conditions in respect of age, academic qualifications, character and personality, contribution to community at local, state and federal levels as well as family background of candidates for president and national assemblies.
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“Unless a new constitution similar to the 1960 and 1963 constitutions with necessary amendments is put in place, none of the aspirants and indeed no angel can save the country from total collapse.”
Babalola said any Nigerian aspiring to rule Nigeria in any form ought to be concerned the country owes such a huge debt.
“I believe that apart from the new constitution, the huge debt should be an urgent issue to be addressed,” he added.
