Former secretary-general of Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to convene a constituent assembly to draft a people-centred constitution for the country.
Gatekeepers News reports that Anyaoku said this while speaking to State House correspondents on Friday after leading ‘The Patriots’, a group of elder statesmen, to a meeting with Tinubu.
He mentioned countries like Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Sudan that broke up over poor management of their diversities as examples.
Anyaoku said, “Nigeria needs a people’s democratic constitution.”
“Pluralistic countries exist all over the world. Those of them who addressed their pluralism by having true federal constitutions have survived. An example is India and Canada.”
“But those pluralistic countries that failed to address their basic challenge of pluralism through the federal constitution have ended up disintegrating.”
Anyaoku urged Tinubu to submit an executive bill to national assembly for a national referendum that will approve the draft constitution.
He cited gaps in current constitution, noting that the framework doesn’t make for effective internal security measures, rapid economic development, and satisfactory social development.
The elder statesman said, “I believe that the new constitution would make it easier for these challenges to be tackled.”
Anyaoku noted that national constituent assembly should comprise individuals elected by people on a non-party basis to ensure inclusion.
He concluded by saying Tinubu assured that his administration would consider suggestion of ‘The Patriots’.
