PFN to FG: Overhaul Nigeria’s constitution now

By Efa Sunday


 

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has called on the Federal Government to discard the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and commence a fresh constitutional process that reflects what it described as the true will of the Nigerian people



The call was made on Thursday at the PFN national headquarters in Lagos, where its leadership expressed concerns over what it termed a persistent religious imbalance in the nation’s supreme law.


Addressing journalists, the PFN President, His Eminence Bishop Francis Wale Oke, criticised what he described as the continued amendment of a document handed down by the military, rather than initiating a wholly new constitution through a broad-based, participatory, and democratic process.


According to him, repeated amendments cannot cure what he called the foundational defects in the existing framework.


“Our position has remained consistent. The current constitution is defective in origin and content.


“It was not produced through a truly representative process. What Nigeria needs is a fresh constitution that genuinely begins with ‘We the people’ and reflects the collective will, aspirations, and diversity of Nigerians,” he said.


Bishop Oke also raised concerns about references to Islam and Sharia in the constitution, arguing that there is no corresponding mention of Christianity or the Church.


“We consider it unfair and unbalanced that a document meant to unite all Nigerians appears to recognise one religion in multiple sections, while the other major faith is not mentioned at all.


“Nigeria is a secular state, and the constitution should reflect fairness, neutrality, and equal respect for all citizens, regardless of faith,” he stated.


He added that the PFN is not calling for religious dominance but for equity and constitutional neutrality.


“What we seek is a constitution that does not elevate one religion above another. Either no religion should be mentioned at all, or there must be equal treatment. The current arrangement, in our view, does not adequately reflect the religious diversity of the country,” he said.


The PFN President further emphasised the numerical strength and civic influence of the Christian community, noting that the Church constitutes a significant portion of the Nigerian population and plays a vital role in national development and democratic participation.


“The Church is not a minority. It represents a substantial segment of the population and contributes immensely to nation-building, social stability, and the democratic process,” he added.


The fellowship therefore called for an inclusive constitutional conference or similar mechanism that would involve broad representation across ethnic, religious, and regional lines, with the aim of producing a new constitution that commands widespread legitimacy.


The 1999 Constitution, promulgated at the return to civil rule, has undergone several amendments over the years.


However, debates over its origin, structure, and perceived imbalances have continued to generate national discourse on the need for comprehensive constitutional reform.

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