President Bola Tinubu met with The Patriots, a group of renowned Nigerians, on Friday in Abuja and highlighted that retooling the economy for long-term growth and development is a top priority for his administration.
The President also told the group that their desire to convene a national constituent assembly with the mandate to design a new constitution would be reviewed.
On Friday, President Tinubu made the announcement while receiving members of the group led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku at the State House.
Chief Anyaoku, speaking on behalf of The Patriots, appealed to the President to send an executive bill to the National Assembly, proposing two measures:
He also stated that the Patriots demanded legislation to hold a public plebiscite on the proposed constitution developed by the Constituent Assembly.
The President expressed his admiration for The Patriots and their contributions to public conversation.
He 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.
In his remarks, Chief Anyaoku said The Patriots organized a well-attended colloquium in March 2024, where it was unanimously agreed that Nigeria needs a new people’s constitution.
Chief Anyaoku expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s ability to lead the constitutional transformation, citing his personal record as one of the greatest champions of Nigeria’s struggle for democracy.
