The 10th Session of the National Assembly headed by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has served notice of its intention to embark on further alterations of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. This is a routine assignment undertaken by each session of the Assembly, with the Deputy President of the Senate usually mandated to chair the effort.

Members of the Senate and House of Representatives eagerly look forward to this programme for various reasons. It offers an opportunity to tweak the Constitution and bring it into sync with the current needs in our society and polity, and resolve unfolding issues. Given the huge amounts usually allocated to it, constitution alteration also gives the federal lawmakers something juicy to bite into.

Regular constitution amendment is used by conservative elements in our polity to justify their opposition to the calls for the rewriting of the 1999 Constitution which is seen in some quarters as unwholesome and counterproductive. However, it is debatable as to how the series of constitution amendments have positively impacted the centralised federalism the military class bequeathed to the nation.

For instance, the 9th National Assembly session led by Senator Ahmed Maina Lawan, failed to push through efforts to grant financial autonomy to the Local Government Areas because the Governors remained fervently opposed to it.

We advise members of the National Assembly who are contemplating the idea of returning Nigeria to the Parliamentary system by 2031 to perish the thought. That amounts to writing a new constitution for Nigeria which only an elected Constituent Assembly can handle.

Rather, the 10th National Assembly should focus efforts on a broad two-point agenda: (1) Reforming the Electoral Commission to become truly independent, and (2) Devolving more powers to the States and giving them a larger slice of the federal allocations to work with.

Without a brand-new, truly independent Electoral Commission led by non-partisan people of proven integrity, the faith of Nigerians will never be revived after the fiasco perpetrated by the Professor Mahmood Yakubu-led Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in 2023. Power must be returned to the people to choose their leaders, unlike the current aberration where the INEC and the courts choose for us.

Devolution of powers and financial reinforcement of the states will empower them to govern more effectively. Approval of state police and correctional functions will help in recovering the vast ungoverned spaces from criminals, terrorists and bandits. It will make Nigerians safer in their farms, homes and highways. It will also allow us to resume the task of developing our country.

Nigeria is at, perhaps, her final crossroads. This is not a time for the lawmakers to chase rats while the house burns. The impending constitution amendment must meet Nigeria at the point of her needs.