Nigeria has remained poor largely because of the 1999 constitution, Afe Babalola, founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, has said.

He said some of the functionalities of state that were enshrined in the constitution were actually impeding the country from realizing its full potential.

Babalola made the assertion when he spoke at an African Union ceremony on Tuesday.

The senior advocate of Nigeria said the constitution had left the states in doldrums.

The 1999 constitution was drafted by the military under the supervision of Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Some of its dictates are regurgitation of the draft of 1995 constitution prepared during the regime of the late military dictator, Sani Abacha.

The constitution has been criticised for concentrating power in the centre and limited authority to the federating units.

“The 1999 constitution is, in large measure, responsible for the problems we have in Nigeria today. The constitution has discouraged and crippled development in the states. Consequently, Nigeria remains a poor country like most African countries,” he said.

“What Nigeria needs is a bill sponsored by the government, asking the senate to pass a law for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference that the membership will be elected on zero party system.

“It is only through a true federal constitution that transformational leaders can emerge and a true Nigeria nation can emerge from over the 300 nations in the country. Africa needs leaders who can transform the continent. The renaissance has started in ABUAD. We have succeeded in nine years to transform education in the country.”

Babalola was honoured with the ‘African role model and the African Union agenda 2063 ambassador awards’ by the African Union Economic Socio-Cultural Council.