Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, has revealed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo nearly punched him for suggesting the amendment of the 1999 Constitution while he held sway as the president of the country.
Olanipekun disclosed this during the Convocation Lecture at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ondo state.
Speaking on the theme, “Mass Exodus Of Human Capital In Nigeria: An Anatomical Analysis of The Causes and Effects,” Olanipekun criticized the 1999 Constitution, labeling it as a fake document responsible for the numerous challenges the country faces.
Highlighting the need for constitutional reform, Olanipekun recounted his encounter with Obasanjo, stating, “I led a delegation of the association to President Obasanjo in 2022; he almost boxed me.
“I said, ‘Mr. President, let us seize this opportunity to do it,’ and we also appeal to the powers that be now, to our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the time for us to restructure this country is now.”
Expressing concern about the current state of the nation, Olanipekun emphasized the dire circumstances that may dissuade Nigerians abroad from returning.
He addressed issues such as insecurity, joblessness, and the erosion of federalism.
“We are living in dangerous and hard times; our Obas in Yorubaland are being killed, being slaughtered like chickens,” he said, illustrating the urgency for change in the nation’s governance and socio-economic structures.
