On Wednesday, Wole Olanipekun, former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), disclosed that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo almost punched him when he suggested amending the country’s constitution during Obasanjo’s administration.
During the 32nd and 33rd convocation lecture of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Olanipekun criticized the 1999 constitution as “fake” and insufficient to address Nigeria’s challenges.
He called for a comprehensive overhaul of the constitution.
In his lecture titled “Mass Exodus of Human Capital in Nigeria: An Anatomical Analysis of the Causes and Effects,” Olanipekun attributed the mass migration of young Nigerians abroad to insecurity, a faulty constitution, a struggling economy, and what he termed as “awkward” federalism.
Recalling his encounter with Obasanjo, Olanipekun stated that during his tenure as NBA president in 2002, he led a delegation to meet with Obasanjo, advising him to initiate the process of amending the constitution.
However, he claimed that Obasanjo not only rejected the advice, but the former president almost resorted to physical confrontation.
Olanipekun emphasized the need for a constitution with a “humane face” and criticized the previous alterations to the constitution as mere “charades and widow dressing.”
He appealed to the current leadership, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to address the pressing issue of restructuring, warning that failure to do so could result in the continued emigration of Nigerian youth, hindering their return to the country.
