Anyaoku and other Patriots members ask Tinubu to call National Constitutional Assembly to adopt new constitution

Members of the Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerians led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, on Friday met President Bola Tinubu and appealed to the president to send an executive bill to the National Assembly proposing the convening of a constituent assembly to draft a democratic constitution for the people.

Speaking to the president at the state parliament building in Abuja, Anyaoku told the president that “the constituent assembly should be composed of directly elected persons, on a non-political basis, from the 36 states of the federation, possibly three persons from each state and one from the FCT.”

He added: “They should be assisted by seven constitutional lawyers, one from each of the six geopolitical zones and the FCT. The deliberations of the constituent assembly should take full account of the 1960/63 constitutions as well as the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference as well as the various national conferences that have considered Nigerian constitutions.”

He also added that the Patriotic Party had requested the adoption of a law providing for a nationwide referendum to which the draft constitution developed by the Constitutional Assembly should be subjected.

“The draft constitution, produced by the constituent assembly, should be put to a national referendum and if approved, should be signed by the president as the true constitution of the Nigerian people,” he said.

Earlier in his speech, Anyaoku said the Patriots organized a colloquium in March 2024 that was well-attended and unanimously agreed that Nigeria needs a new people’s constitution.

He expressed confidence in Tinubu’s ability to lead the constitutional transformation, citing his personal record as one of Nigeria’s greatest defenders of democracy.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Anyaoku stressed that Nigeria, being a pluralistic country, deserves a true federal constitution so that the nation does not fall apart.

According to him, “Patriots is a non-partisan group of distinguished Nigerians who are committed to the unity of our country and good governance of our country under the legitimate people’s democratic constitution. So we have come to the point where we are conveying this view that Nigeria needs a people’s democratic constitution.

“We have confirmed to the President that Nigeria is a pluralistic country. And you all know that pluralistic countries exist all over the world. Those that have addressed their pluralism, with true federal constitutions, have survived. Examples are India and Canada.

“But those pluralist countries that did not take up their basic challenge of pluralism through a federal Constitution ended up disintegrating. Examples of this are Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, and here in Africa, Sudan.

“These countries, in the case of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, existed for about 100 years as a single state but ultimately disintegrated because they failed to manage their pluralism through a true federal constitution.”

The elder statesman said the Patriots had advised Tinubu on the need to send to the National Assembly an implementing bill that will regulate the convening of the Constituent Assembly and the conduct of a national referendum to give the people an opportunity to have their say on the constitution.

His words: “We have made several proposals to the President and urged him to send the President’s executive bill to the National Assembly, a bill that will require two essential measures. One is to convene a National Constituent Assembly, which will have the mandate to draft a new constitution. And we have suggested that such a National Constituent Assembly should consist of persons elected by the people on a non-partisan basis. Let’s say, for example, three persons from each of the 36 states and one from the Federal Capital Territory, and they should have the mandate to draft a new constitution.

“We also suggested that in the draft law we ask the National Assembly to pass a law on holding a nationwide referendum, because under the current legal framework we do not provide for any possibility of holding a nationwide referendum.

“We concluded by stating that the draft constitution to be produced by the vote of the Constituent Assembly should be submitted to a national referendum to give the people of Nigeria an opportunity to establish a new constitution.

“Because all these challenges that we are facing right now are symptoms of the inadequacy of the Constitution that we have right now. The inadequacy of the system of government that we have right now. And I am sure that when the National Constituent Assembly looks at all this and all the recommendations from the previous efforts to convene a national conference and draft a constitution that would make life easier for the people.”

Commenting on the ongoing peaceful protests across the country, the Patriots leader called on the central government and 36 states to engage in dialogue with protest leaders and warned security forces against using lethal force against protesters.

His words: “We also talked about the current protest crisis across the country.

“And we informed the President that in our opinion the government at the federal and state levels should hold a dialogue with the leaders of the protests. “The government should take the initiative in dialogue with the leaders of the protests.

“Secondly, we have recommended that law enforcement agencies, namely the police and the military, avoid using lethal weapons in managing the protests so that we do not have casualties or people killed because the protests are managed by law enforcement and public order agencies.”

Responding to the Patriots’ requests, Tinubu informed them that the priority of his administration was to transform the economy to ensure sustainable growth and development.

The president also assured the group that their request to convene a national constituent assembly to draft a new constitution would be considered.

The President expressed his respect for the Patriots and their contribution to the national debate.

“I have listened carefully to you and this is not a group I can ignore. This is a group of patriots who reflect the heart and aspirations of society. I thank you all for coming.

“I have been challenged by this democracy that I inherited from your struggles. I must recognize that these challenges are the most necessary for good governance.

“We have no other choice and I believe it is extremely difficult to cope with the changing tendencies of democratic governments.

“I want to assure you all that listening to your two most important requests on the way to the referendum should lead to the adoption of constitutional measures that are adapted to our diversity and way of governing, so that we avoid conflicts and divisions.

“I believe in the unity of this country and I want to assure you that I will do whatever is necessary to ensure the happiness and good governance of all Nigerians,” the president said.

Tinubu also noted that the demand for constitutional reforms has long been present in public debate.

He thanked the examples presented by Patriots of pluralistic countries such as Canada and India, which have maintained unity by recognising their diversity in their constitutions.

“Avoiding chaos is essential to rebuilding this country and realizing its aspirations for the good of us all.

“I am currently busy with economic reform. That is my priority. Once that happens, as soon as possible, I will consider other options, including a constitutional review, as you have recommended, and other options,” the President said.

Tinubu used the occasion to pay tribute to the founder and chairman of The Patriots, Chief Rotimi Williams, SAN, and Professor Ben Nwabueze who succeeded him.

Describing both men and other members of the Patriots as strong believers in Nigeria, the President said the question on the minds of many Nigerians is: “How will Nigeria be governed constitutionally, in accordance with the law, without unnecessary suffering and problems due to its diversity, and that must be resolved constitutionally so that we can build a nation that we can proudly hand over to our children with a banner without blemish,” the President said, quoting a line from the second verse of the National Anthem.

Tinubu told Anyaoku that he would be invited back for a more in-depth conversation about The Patriots’ submissions.

“When you present it, believe that it will be considered. I believe that you want a stable and prosperous Nigeria,” concluded President Tinubu.

Members of the Patriots party present at the meeting included a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi, former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osob, a constitutional lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, Senator Ben Obi, Senator Shehu Sani, former Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, Olawale Okunniyi (Secretary General) and a Niger Delta activist, Mrs. Anne-kio Briggs.

Deji Elumoye