Lagos – Prof. Lai Olurode, a National Commissioner with the Independent  National Electoral Commission, (INEC) says  constitutional amendments, rather than a Sovereign National Conference (SNC), holds the way forward for the nation.

Olurode spoke in an interview  in Lagos on Monday.

He spoke against the backdrop of calls for a SNC   as well as the National Assembly’s disclosure that it would embark on an amendment of the 1999 constitution, especially as it affected issues of state creation, local government administration and INEC among others.

“The amendment of the Constitution is long overdue in every respect otherwise it will be difficult for Nigeria to make progress.

“It is the way forward for Nigeria, and I commend President Jonathan for his proposal to the National Assembly on the need for a Constitution review,” he said.

The INEC Commissioner said the present National Assembly  was well placed to carry out the exercise.

“There cannot be a better National Assembly that represents the different aspirations of the people of Nigeria than these present legislators where one party is not dominant,’’ he said.

Olurode said that once the Constitution was amended, there would be no need for a resort to a SNC where nationalities would meet.

“Local Government Councils were not captured in the 1999 Constitution and their roles and mode of funding were not very much defined,’’ Opara said.

He said that with such amendments, the country will be in a better position to advance.

Chief Charles Nwodo, National Chairman of the Progressive Action Council (PAC), however told NAN that a national conference remained the way forward.

He said that a national conference was necessary to carry everyone along before any section of the constitution was amended.

Nwodo stated that areas to be amended should be subjected to a referendum to ensure everyone was involved in the process.

The party chieftain said that the country should be made to reflect true federalism.

He said that the local government should be strengthened and their electoral process should be taken off   the control of the Chief Executive of the states in order to give it a good democratic space. (NAN)