Obasanjo almost boxed me – Ex-NBA President Wole Olanipekun reveals

Olanipekun recounted the tense incident while delivering the 32nd and 33rd convocation lecture at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.

He shed light on the encounter, revealing that the former president grew visibly furious when he advised Obasanjo to amend Nigeria's constitution during his tenure.

The legal luminary expressed his dissatisfaction with the 1999 constitution, labeling it as "fake" and asserting that it lacked the essential elements needed to address the multifaceted challenges confronting the nation.

He emphasised the urgent need for a constitutional overhaul, urging the country's leaders to create a constitution with a "humane face."

"I'm a lawyer, but we are deceiving ourselves. Our constitution is fake, and I have said this over and over," Olanipekun declared, addressing the audience at the convocation.

He highlighted the conundrum faced by lawyers and judges who must apply the law as it currently exists, not as it ideally should be.

Recounting the high-stakes encounter with ex-President Obasanjo, Olanipekun revealed, "I, as the president of the NBA, led a delegation to President Obasanjo in 2002. He almost boxed me. I'm here in Ogun State saying this; he is still alive. He said, 'No, you can't change it.' I said, Mr President, let us seize this opportunity to do it."

In addition to the call for constitutional reform, Olanipekun appealed to the current leadership, specifically addressing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He stressed the critical importance of restructuring the country at this juncture, warning that failure to do so might result in a scenario where Nigerian children studying abroad might opt not to return home.