By Taiwo Adeyemi 

A human rights Activist and Legal Practitioner, Boye Williams has said too much power resides in the office of the president and supports the call for a new constitution.

Williams made the call when he featured as a guest on Diamond FM Ilorin, Kwara State Yoruba Language News and Current Affairs programme “E ba wa da si” on Thursday,  15th August, 2024.

Recall that some Eminent Nigerians led by Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary General of the Commonwealth have called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately institute a process of producing a new constitution for the country.

Anyaoku said “We came to convey this view that Nigeria needs a people’s democratic constitution. We affirmed to Mr. President that Nigeria is a pluralistic country. And you all know that pluralistic countries exist all over the world. Those of them that addressed their pluralism by having true federal constitutions have survived. Example is India and Canada”.

“But those pluralistic countries that failed to address their basic challenge of pluralism through federal Constitution have ended up disintegrating. Examples of that is Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia and here in Africa, Sudan”.

Williams emphasized that the Nigerian President is too powerful and called for a new constitution to reduce the president influence.

“The president of Nigeria is too powerful, he appoints the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Naval State, Inspector General of Police, etc and some of them are loyal to him not to the country”. 

“Some presidents will even go ahead to retire senior servicemen to have their preferred officer emerge”.

“Obasanjo declared the state of emergency in Ekiti state to remove the then Governor, Ayodele Fayose”. 

“He can tell the EFCC chairman to go after any perceived political opponents”.

He furthered that the proposed new constitution should rotate the office of the president among the six political zones in the country, to foster unity and inclusiveness in the country.

“Our existing constitution didn’t recognize rotating the office of the presidency between the north and the south but there is need to allow a new constitution that will rotate the office of the president between the six geo-political zones in Nigeria”.

“Once it’s the turn of a particular zone, all other zones will support the zone to produce the next president this will promote fairness in the country”.

The legal practitioner also called for creation of five offices of the Vice President that will come from different geo-political zones aside from the zone that presents the president.

“Those Vice presidents will also contest separately to occupy the offices and they will be holding key ministries”.

“Buhari was the minister of Petroleum and Tinubu is holding the same office”.

“Those Vice presidents will be loyal to the people that elected them unlike having their loyalty to the president that can fire them”.

Full programme link: https://www.youtube.com/live/k_KFN7EMCjY?si=mYxNkVCftidhcZ0Z