2027: Why Section 21 of Nigerian Constitution is sacrosanct — SDP chieftain

A member of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, and the Social Democratic Party, Olusegun Babalola, has explained why it is important for a radical reinterpretation of Section 21 of the Nigerian Constitution ahead of 2027 general elections.

In a statement on Friday, he described the reinterpretation of the section as the “keystone” to achieving the objectives outlined in Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution.

Babalola argued that Nigeria’s failure to integrate its traditional systems of governance into modern state structures has weakened the country’s political legitimacy and economic growth.

He said the renewed emphasis on Chapter II by SDP presidential candidate for 2027 general elections, Adewole Adebayo, had brought the constitutional debate back into national discourse following his acceptance speech at the party’s presidential convention in Bauchi on May 9, 2026.

According to Babalola, Section 21, which mandates the state to “protect, preserve, and promote Nigerian cultures,” has been wrongly interpreted over the years as merely preserving dances, arts, and festivals rather than embedding indigenous constitutional principles into governance.

“The ‘Rise of the Rest’ is, ultimately, the rise of those who understood their culture not as a memory to be displayed, but as a living constitution to be lived,” he stated.

2027: Why Section 21 of Nigerian Constitution is sacrosanct — SDP chieftain