Report: Who Really Wrote Nigeria’s Shady 1999 Constitution?
By Omoyele Sowore
The question of who authored Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution is one that continues to expose the fraud at the heart of our so-called democracy. Nigerians are told, on the very first page of that document, that “We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria… do hereby make and give to ourselves the following Constitution.” That, in itself, is the biggest lie ever told in Nigeria’s legal and political history.
A Constitution Without the People
Contrary to the claim in its preamble, the Nigerian people never sat anywhere to draft, debate, or adopt the 1999 Constitution. No referendum was held. No true constituent assembly was allowed to deliberate on it. Instead, the military junta of General Abdulsalami Abubakar, desperate to hand over power in 1999, dusted up the 1979 Constitution, doctored it through a few military decrees, and force-fed it to Nigerians as a “new” democratic constitution.
The Military Handwriting All Over It
Documents and historical accounts show that what we call the 1999 Constitution was largely a product of military officers, their handpicked committee members, and legal technocrats who worked under the tight control of the junta.
The so-called Constitutional Debate Coordinating Committee (CDCC), led by Justice Niki Tobi, was not a people’s assembly. It was merely advisory, and its input was cherry-picked, altered, and in some cases outrightly discarded by the military government.
At the end, the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC), headed by General Abubakar, issued Decree No. 24 of 1999, which imposed the “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.” In essence, it was a decree masquerading as a constitution — military law dressed in civilian clothes.
The Consequences of a Shady Constitution
Because it was imposed rather than agreed upon, the 1999 Constitution is structurally defective:
It concentrates excessive powers at the center, leaving states and local governments weak and dependent.
It ignores the country’s diverse nationalities and their right to self-determination.
It fuels corruption, ethnic tension, and poor governance by creating a system where the people’s consent is irrelevant.
That is why, 26 years later, Nigeria is still wobbling under insecurity, poverty, secessionist agitations, and failed governance. A fraudulent foundation can only produce a shaky building.
The Way Forward
Nigeria needs a People’s Constitution — not one imposed by soldiers. A truly sovereign national conference or referendum where all ethnic nationalities and stakeholders deliberate freely on how they want to live together is the only way forward. Until then, every election, every reform, and every government will remain built on a foundation of deceit.
So, to answer the question: Who really wrote Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution?
It was not “we, the people.” It was the military dictators, their collaborators, and a handful of unelected elites who imposed their will on over 200 million Nigerians.
And that is why we must continue to demand a people-driven constitution — one that truly reflects the will of Nigerians, not the convenience of those who forced themselves on us.