Ezekwesili Slams Ongoing Constitutional Amendment as ‘Charade,’ Urges New Nigerian Constitution

Former Minister of Education Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili has harshly criticized the National Assembly's ongoing constitutional amendment process, calling it an “expensive charade” and a waste of taxpayers’ money.

Ezekwesili made the remarks on Thursday during her keynote address at the 7th anniversary and annual lecture of Penpushing Media, held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Currently the CEO of Human Capital Africa and a Senior Economic Advisor at the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative (AWEDPI), Ezekwesili argued that no amount of patchwork can fix a fundamentally flawed constitution.

“The ongoing constitutional amendment cannot work. It cannot address our problem. It is a charade and sheer waste of resources. The demand for a new constitution is a matter of life and death,” she said.

Drawing a parallel with structural engineering, she questioned the logic of amending what she described as a broken foundation.

“When the engineer tells us the foundation of a building is structurally defective, do we try to patch it up? No. We bring the whole thing down to avoid endangering lives,” she said. “Nation-building is no different.”

Ezekwesili stressed that real solutions must be rooted in justice, equity, and fairness, not in minor legislative tweaks.

She also lamented the capture of Nigeria’s political space, describing it as a criminal enterprise gang that prevents meaningful governance.

Also speaking at the event was Ambassador Sarafa Ishola, former Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK and chairman of the occasion. He emphasized that true federalism demands responsible leadership, institutional clarity, fiscal fairness, and active citizen accountability.

“Restructuring should not be seen as a sectional agenda, but as a national revitalization strategy,” he said.

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, founder of Penpushing Media, explained that the lecture series was conceived to spark conversations that elevate Nigeria’s democratic and civic integrity.

He also announced the creation of an annual prize for top-performing mass communication graduates, as well as the platform’s ongoing support for journalism training, having mentored over 80 students from Nigerian universities.