Tinubu promises to review request to draft new constitution

President Bola Tinubu has promised to review the request for a draft new constitution put forward by a group of eminent personalities known as ‘The Patriots’.

The group led by former Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku made the request during a visit to the president in Abuja on Friday.

Receiving the group, President Tinubu also 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.

Chief Anyaoku, speaking on behalf of The Patriots, appealed to the President to send an executive bill to the National Assembly, proposing two measures: ”The convening of a national constituent assembly with the mandate to produce a draft people’s democratic constitution. The constituent assembly should be 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 indeed of the various national conferences that considered the Nigerian constitutions.”

Chief Anyaoku also said the Patriots requested legislating for a national plebiscite to which the draft constitution emerging from the constituent assembly should be subjected.

“The draft constitution, produced by the constituent assembly, should be put to a national referendum and if approved, should then be signed by the President as the genuine Nigerian people’s constitution,” he said.

Responding to these requests, the President 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 challenge of this democracy that I inherited from your struggles. I must recognise the fact that these challenges are most required for good governance.

“We have no other choice, and I believe also that it is most difficult to manage the twist and turns of democratic governance.

“I want to assure all of you that as I listened to your two major requests on the path to referendum and that should lead to constitutional measures that will fit our diversity and governance so that we 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 would do,” the President said.