Tinubu should work on calls for new constitution, says Anyaoku
By Jeffrey Agbo
Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently listen to calls for a new people-oriented constitution and set modalities in place to achieve it.
Anyaoku told NAN on Sunday that a new people’s constitution was necessary owing to glaring imperfections in the 1999 Constitution.
The Patriots, a nonpartisan group of leaders of thought in Nigeria, earlier called for the convening of a national constituent assembly to help draft a new constitution for the country.
The group, led by Anyaoku, urged Tinubu to immediately send an executive bill to the National Assembly to that effect. Tinubu subsequently assured the group that their request would be looked into as soon as he was done with economic reforms.
“The 1999 constitution even as amended lacks the legitimacy that can only be conferred on a constitution democratically made by the people of Nigeria,” said Anyaoku.
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“We must, therefore, have a new legitimate constitution that will give us a different governance system that can tackle more effectively the myriad challenges currently threatening the integrity of our country.
“In my view, the new constitution should be made by a constituent assembly of persons to be democratically elected on non political party basis of three each from the existing 36 States and one from the FCT.”
The elder statesman said deliberations on the new constitution should take into consideration the 1960 and 1963 constitutions as well as the recommendations of the 2014 national conference.
He said the draft constitution emanating from the constituent assembly should be subjected to a national referendum for approval.
The elder statesman said, this way, the document would have the legitimacy to qualify it as a citizens’ constitution.
Anyaoku said a new people’s constitution will be the first to democratically made, suited for the needs of a pluralistic country.