A group of elder statesmen and opinion leaders, known as the Patriots, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to initiate the process of drafting a new constitution for Nigeria.
The group, led by former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, made this appeal during a meeting with President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on Friday.
Chief Anyaoku, speaking to reporters after the meeting, attributed many of the challenges facing Nigeria’s development to the current 1999 Constitution.
He emphasized the need for a pluralistic constitution that would better reflect Nigeria’s diverse population and help address the country’s developmental issues.
“Nations that have failed to manage their pluralism through a federal constitution have disintegrated,” Chief Anyaoku remarked, citing the examples of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Sudan.
He contrasted these with countries like India and Canada, which have remained strong by adopting pluralistic constitutions that accommodate their diverse populations.
The Patriots recommended that a constituent assembly be convened to draft the new constitution, which would then be presented to the Nigerian people for approval through a referendum. This process, according to Chief Anyaoku, would grant the new constitution the legitimacy it needs to foster unity and progress in the nation.
The group also addressed the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests, urging President Tinubu to engage in dialogue with the movement’s leaders. They advised that law enforcement agencies should exercise restraint in handling the protests, emphasizing the importance of avoiding the use of lethal force to prevent unnecessary loss of life.
Among the distinguished members of the Patriots who accompanied Chief Anyaoku were former Governor of Ogun State Chief Olusegun Osoba, former Senator Shehu Sani, ex-Minister of Women Affairs Pauline Tallen, former Governor of Adamawa State Boni Haruna, and former Information Minister Labaran Maku.
The meeting underscored the growing call for constitutional reform in Nigeria, with the Patriots positioning themselves as key advocates for change in the nation’s governance structure.
As President Tinubu considers these recommendations, the dialogue on Nigeria’s future constitutional framework appears poised to take center stage in the national discourse.