A group of Nigerian statesmen, The Patriots, has urged President Bola Tinubu to convene a constituent assembly to draft “a people democratic pluralistic constitution” for the country.

This came as the group, led by former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku met with the president at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Friday.

Anyaoku, who addressed State House correspondents after Friday’s meeting, urged the president to forward an executive bill to the National Assembly to legislate on a national referendum that will approve the draft constitution.

He said the 109-member constituent assembly should be mandated to produce the draft constitution to be subjected to a referendum.

This referendum, he argued, will give legitimacy to the new constitution.

“We put some proposals to Mr. President and we urged him to send a president’s executive bill to the National Assembly, a bill that will call for two essential measures.

“One, the convening of a National Constituent Assembly, to be mandated to produce a new draft constitution. We suggested that such a National Constituent Assembly should consist of individuals elected by the people on a non-party basis.

“Say, for example, three individuals per state, per each of the 36 states and one from the Federal Capital Territory and they should be mandated to produce a new draft constitution,” he explained.

Anyaoku premised this proposal on the argument that Nigeria needs a pluralistic constitution to tackle its development challenges.

Citing Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Sudan, he noted that countries that failed to manage their pluralism through a federal constitution are on course for eventual disintegration.

He said countries such as India and Canada, with pluralistic constitutions, have remained resilient.

The former Commonwealth helmsman explained, “Nigeria, we affirmed to Mr. President, is a pluralistic country. And you all know that pluralistic countries exist all over the world.

“Those of them who addressed their pluralism by having true federal constitutions have survived. An example is India and Canada.

“But pluralistic countries that failed to address their basic challenge of pluralism through a federal Constitution have ended up disintegrating. Examples of that are Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Sudan, here in Africa.”

“But pluralistic countries that failed to address their basic challenge of pluralism through a federal Constitution have ended up disintegrating. Examples of that are Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Sudan, here in Africa.”

DevilsEqual:

I learnt the first constitution was sole-written by Prof Ben Nwabueze and now another Emeka feels that constitution isnt cool


Emeka, most of your kinsmen already said they want Biafra, and that we are unity beggars, why dont u stop begging for unity and just allow the country disintegrate as per say na wetin una want

He should keep his opinion within the Ohaneze-Ndigbo crew

stevnwigw1:
Change the shit 1999 Constitution that empowers Fulanis to come into Nigeria from any part of the world.

DevilsEqual:

I learnt the first constitution was sole-written by Prof Ben Nwabueze and now another Emeka feels that constitution isnt cool


Emeka, most of your kinsmen already said they want Biafra, and that we are unity beggars, why dont u stop begging for unity and just allow the country disintegrate as per say na wetin una want

He should keep his opinion within the Ohaneze-Ndigbo crew

unavailablecity:
Regionalism Regionalism Regionalism is all we want best of it all YORUBAS NATION

PHIPEX:
I thought Tinubu was serious about the regionalism thing.

They all champion RESTRUCTURING while in opposition, immediately they get power it becomes a different thing. If a Southern President can't restrure Nigeria, who then will?

NothingDoMe:
Lol. The Nigerian Constitution is a fraudulent, antiquated document. Tinubu and majority of Nigerian politicians are steeped in fraud. There will be no constitutional review of any kind.

PHIPEX:
I thought Tinubu was serious about the regionalism thing.

They all champion RESTRUCTURING while in opposition, immediately they get power it becomes a different thing. If a Southern President can't restrure Nigeria, who then will?