President Bola Tinubu has told The Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerians that retooling the economy for sustainable growth and development is the major priority of his administration and not working for a new Constitution.
The President, however, 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.
The group, led by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary-General, visited Tinubu at the State House on Friday, and appealed to the President to send an executive bill to the National Assembly.
The bill, according to Anyaoku, is meant to mandate a national constituent assembly to produce a draft people’s democratic constitution.
Secondly, the group wants the constituent assembly to 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.
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”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 referendum to which the draft constitution emerging from the constituent assembly should be subjected.
Reacting to their requests, President Bola Tinubu expressed his respect for The Patriots and their contributions to national discourse.
“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.
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”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.
President Tinubu also noted that the clamour 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 and other options,” the President said.
President Tinubu told Chief Anyaoku that he would be invited again for a more detailed conversation on the submissions of the Patriot.
”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.