A coalition of esteemed elder statesmen and influential opinion leaders, collectively known as the Patriots, has issued a clarion call to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to initiate the process of drafting a new Constitution for Nigeria. Led by the venerable Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, the group converged at the State House in Abuja on Friday, August 9, to press their case with the President.
During their meeting, the Patriots attributed the myriad challenges besetting Nigeria’s nationhood to the inadequacies of the 1999 Constitution. In a post-meeting briefing with journalists, Chief Anyaoku elucidated the group’s stance, emphasizing the imperative of a pluralistic constitution to address the country’s developmental hurdles.
Anyaoku drew on historical precedents to underscore the importance of effectively managing pluralism through a federal constitution. He cited the examples of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Sudan, which failed to achieve this and subsequently disintegrated. Conversely, he pointed to India and Canada, nations that have successfully leveraged pluralistic constitutions to maintain their unity and strength.
The former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth advocated for the establishment of a constituent assembly, tasked with crafting a draft constitution to be subsequently put to a referendum. This approach, he argued, would ensure a participatory and inclusive process, yielding a constitution that genuinely reflects the aspirations and diversity of the Nigerian people.
In essence, the Patriots are urging President Tinubu to seize the initiative in driving constitutional reform, capitalizing on the opportunity to recalibrate Nigeria’s foundational document and set the country on a more harmonious and prosperous trajectory.
Source: thenationonlineng.net
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