By Abiola Olawale
Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, a former Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs has said the stall in the impeachment trial of immediate past US President, Donald Trump, has mainstreamed the need for US lawmakers to amend America’s 1787 constitution which is still being used in 2021, over two centuries since it was formulated.
The elder-statesman who reacted to the event of Trump’s impeachment trial in an interview on ‘thruMY eyes’, a online programme that runs commentary on various international events, monitored by The New Diplomat, said the impeachment trial which could have been concluded within days of the attack on the US Capitol was dragged till after the former President left office due to loopholes in the US constitution.
On Wednesday, 45 out of 50 Senate Republicans voted to consider stopping the trial but Democrats push back. But it would take 17 Republican senators voting alongside the 50 Democrats at the Senate to convict the president, something that political analysts have described as unlikely as the impeachment prospects now look gloomy.
Following the argument by 17 Republican Senators, Wednesday that it was unconstitutional to convict Trump since he had left office, Akinyemi said, the 1787 US constitution needs to be amended.
He said the scenario could have been avoided if there were laws in the constitution that could fast track the impeachment trial before Trump got off the hook.
He also stated that the US constitution which is regarded as one of the oldest written law, needs to be reformed to accommodate the present day realities.
Akinyemi said, “American lawyers are going to make a lot of money arguing on the constitution. The United States should wake up and address the 1787 constitution which is still being applied in 2021. I don’t think the US is addressing the issues of the Constitution seriously. Something that could have been done within a week now leads to a month or so. If the trial was done three days after the attack of the Capitol, maybe they might have got the 17 Republicans votes. But the issue has been dragged as the Republicans are now arguing that Donald Trump cannot be convicted.”
The eminent professor also stated that he was not surprised by the irrationalities of some Republicans, who have continued to argue that Trump cannot be convicted on the ground that he is no more the President.
However, Akinyemi said he was disgusted that they could blindly support Trump even after inciting violence that led to the death of several persons. He said, “like an old solider, he will never die but he is going to fade away.”
It would be recalled that Akinyemi, 79, is a former Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and a notable professor of International Relations. Akinyemi was also a Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs(NIIA) from 1975 until 1983. He was also the deputy chairman of the 2014-2015 National Conference set up by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Prior to that, he was also chieftain of NADECO which, along with other pro-democracy organizations, fought for the restoration of democracy and was involved in the campaign for the validation of June 12, 1993 presidential election evidently won by late Businessman, Chief MKO Abiola.
