A pan-Nigerian group of eminent national leaders of thought, The Patriots, has said the nation needs a brand new people’s constitution and not amendments to the existing one.
The General Secretary of The Patriots, Olawale Okunniyi, disclosed this in a communiqué issued on Monday in Lagos, after the group’s National Constitutional Dialogue, 2024, on the future of Nigeria.
According to the communiqué, Nigerians, governors, legislators, leaders of thought, traditional rulers and others demanded a new democratic people’s constitution for Nigeria instead of amendments to the existing one.
It said that the group, led by a former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku, hosted a national dialogue (Colloquium) to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2014 National Confab organised by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
It stated that the event was organised in honour of the immediate past Chairman of the Patriots, the late Prof. Ben Nwabueze (SAN), at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos on March 18.
According to the statement, the focus of the dialogue was on a prosperous future for Nigeria through the prospects of a new democratic people’s constitution.
The communiqué said that a new constitution would offer assured hope and prosperity to the diverse peoples and citizens of Nigeria in the face of the current socio-economic miseries, political instability and insecurity in the country.
It said that the national dialogue concluded that the prevailing 1999 Constitution and its brand of presidential system fostered politics of alienation.
The communiqué added that this had increased appetite for state capture amongst the ruling elite to the exclusion of a large section of Nigerian citizens, while also leading to disenchantment across the country.
According to it, the constitution, by its flawed origin, lacks legitimacy, “which it cannot acquire from any number of amendments.’’
According to the statement, the focus of the dialogue was on a prosperous future for Nigeria through the prospects of a new democratic people’s constitution.
The communiqué said that a new constitution would offer assured hope and prosperity to the diverse peoples and citizens of Nigeria in the face of the current socio-economic miseries, political instability and insecurity in the country.
It said that the national dialogue concluded that the prevailing 1999 Constitution and its brand of presidential system fostered politics of alienation.
The communiqué added that this had increased appetite for state capture amongst the ruling elite to the exclusion of a large section of Nigerian citizens, while also leading to disenchantment across the country.
According to it, the constitution, by its flawed origin, lacks legitimacy, “which it cannot acquire from any number of amendments.’’
NAN
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