Okotie backs restructuring, people’s constitution

The cleric said the 1999 Constitution is not indigenous and should, therefore, be discarded.

“The Constitution that was handed over to us by foreigners is not working,” he said.

Okotie spoke at his church at Oregun, Lagos, during his 63rd birthday celebration.

The cleric, who lost presidential elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011, proposed the establishment of an Interim Government of National Reconciliation and Reconstruction after the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said such a government, which he would love to lead, “shall address aberrations and anomalies in the polity”.

Okotie also proposed that under the interim administration, there would be no National and State Assemblies as well as political offices because the country’s presidential system had brought more pains than gains.

He urged the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to back his proposal.

The musician-turned pastor claimed that the country’s political parties had impoverished Nigerians due to their unfavourable party structures and failed programmes.

“Some political parties were formed by rich men for selfish purposes so that they can impoverish the masses. That is why the prices of nomination forms have gone beyond the reach of a common man,” he said.

Okotie urged the parties’ flag bearers to divert the energy used in securing their tickets towards supporting the interim government he proposes to lead so that the true picture of democracy can be achieved.

If given the opportunity to head an interim government, Okotie said he would scrap all political offices and empower professional associations.

According to him, “some professional associations, like the National Teachers Association (NTA), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), have been in existence before the existing political parties and it will do well to tap from their knowledge rather than committing professional affairs into the hands of ministers and commissioners”.

As for the National and State Assemblies, Okotie suggested that these be scrapped as, in his view, they are being used to usurp the nation’s economy, while such offices should be voluntarily occupied.

He added: “The expenses that the National and State Assemblies are gulping are enough to build a nation. Let us scrap them and divert the funds to meaningful projects.”