President Bola Tinubu on Friday in Abuja received The Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerians, and emphasized that retooling the economy for sustainable growth and development is a major priority of his administration. The President also assured the group that their request for the convening of a national constituent assembly with the mandate to draft a new constitution will be reviewed.
President Tinubu made this declaration when he received members of the group led by Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary-General, at the State House.
Speaking on behalf of The Patriots, Anyaoku appealed to the President to send an executive bill to the National Assembly, proposing two measures:
- The Convening of a National Constituent Assembly: The assembly should have the mandate to produce a draft people’s democratic constitution. It should consist of directly elected individuals, on a non-political basis, from the 36 states of the federation, possibly three individuals per state, and one from the FCT. They should be assisted by seven constitutional lawyers, one drawn from each of the six geo-political zones and the FCT. The deliberations of the constituent assembly should take into full account the 1960/63 constitutions, as well as the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference and other relevant national conferences.
- A National Plebiscite: The draft constitution produced by the constituent assembly should be subjected to a national referendum. If approved, it should then be signed by the President as the genuine Nigerian people’s constitution.
Responding to these requests, President Tinubu expressed his respect for The Patriots and their contributions to national discourse.
“I have listened to you carefully, and this is not a group that I can ignore. This is a group of patriots reflecting the heart and aspirations of society. I thank all of you for being here. I have faced the challenges of this democracy that I inherited from your struggles. I must recognize the fact that these challenges are essential for good governance.
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“We have no other choice, and I believe also that it is most difficult to manage the twists and turns of democratic governance. I want to assure all of you that I have listened to your two major requests on the path to a referendum that should lead to constitutional measures fitting our diversity and governance, so we can avoid conflicts and break-ups.
“I believe in the unity of this country and I want to assure you that whatever is necessary to put happiness and good governance in the hands of all Nigerians is what I will do,” the President said.
President Tinubu also noted that the call for constitutional reforms is a longstanding issue in national discourse. He acknowledged the examples presented by The Patriots on pluralistic countries, such as Canada and India, which have maintained unity by addressing their diversity through their constitutions.
“The avoidance of chaos is necessary to build this country and move its aspirations forward for the benefit of all of us. I am currently preoccupied with economic reform—that is my first priority. Once this is in place, as soon as possible, I will look at other options, including constitutional review as recommended by you,” the President said.
President Tinubu also paid glowing tribute to the founding 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, legitimately without unnecessary aches and pains of its diversity?” This, he said, needs to be addressed constitutionally so that “we can build a nation that we can proudly hand over a banner without stain to our children,” quoting a line from the second stanza of the National Anthem.
President Tinubu told CAnyaoku that he would be invited again for a more detailed conversation on The Patriots’ submissions.
“As you present this, just believe that it will be reviewed, and I commit myself to the belief that you want a stable and prosperous Nigeria,” President Tinubu concluded.
In his remarks, Anyaoku said The Patriots organized a well-attended colloquium in March 2024, where it was unanimously agreed that Nigeria needs a new people’s constitution. He expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s ability to lead this constitutional transformation, citing his record as one of the greatest champions of Nigeria’s struggle for democracy.
