BREAKING: Yakasai, Osoba, Anyaoku, Others To Meet National Assembly Leadership Over New Constitution

The Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerians led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku, is set to meet with the leadership of the National Assembly in April 2025 to discuss the urgent need for a new democratic Nigerian Constitution.

Naija News learnt that the scheduled meeting will follow a previous meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on August 9, 2024, where the group reiterated its call for a constitutional overhaul.

The Patriots, consisting of prominent figures such as Ike Nwachukwu, Tanko Yakasai, Olusegun Osoba, Alani Akinrinade, and others, have been advocating for a more inclusive Constitution.

They argue that the current 1999 Constitution has failed the Nigerian people, contributing to hardship, corruption, and insecurity.

The group is particularly focused on urging President Tinubu to convene a Constituent Assembly, allowing Nigerians from all parts of the country to collectively draft a Constitution that reflects their will and needs.

In a statement issued at the 20th memorial anniversary of the group’s founding chairman, FRA Williams, General Secretary of The Patriots, Olawale Okunniyi, emphasized the group’s mission to the National Assembly.

He said the aim is to press for amendments to Sections 8 and 9 of the 1999 Constitution to include a provision for a referendum or plebiscite, enabling the people to demand changes to the Constitution at any time.

Okunniyi further criticized the current Constitution, describing it as “warped” and “fashioned after corruption,” and stated that only a small percentage of Nigerians benefit from it.

He stressed the need for a Constitution that works for the poorest Nigerians and called for the immediate creation of a people’s democratic Constitution to address the nation’s enduring challenges.

“The current Constitution is faulty. Only two percent of Nigerians are benefiting from it, and we need to correct this anomaly. A people’s democratic Constitution is the way out of hardship, corruption, and insecurity,” Okunniyi said.

In addition to the upcoming meeting with the National Assembly leadership, The Patriots plan to launch zonal advocacy outreach programs in April.

These outreaches will target traditional rulers, influential leaders, labor leaders, and thought leaders across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.

The group aims to garner wider support for a new Constitution and intends to hold discussions with various stakeholders across the country.

“We will meet with the leadership of the National Assembly, and following that, we will begin zonal outreach, advocacy with traditional rulers and other influential leaders,” Okunniyi added.

Okunniyi also decried the failure of former President Goodluck Jonathan to send the 2014 National Conference report as a bill to the National Assembly, where a referendum on the report could have been held.

However, he expressed optimism that the 2014 National Conference report, alongside earlier constitutions (1963, 1979, 1989, 1993), would serve as important working documents in the drafting of a new Constitution.

At Wednesday’s memorial event, several key figures, including Prof. Anthony Kila, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, Fafa Dan-Princewill, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ezenwa, and Kayode Williams, the son of FRA Williams, advanced the cause of The Patriots.

Kayode Williams expressed confidence that the group’s agitation for a new Constitution would succeed, reiterating his belief that President Tinubu supports true federalism.

In conclusion, The Patriots remain committed to their goal of transforming Nigeria’s constitutional framework and believe that a new, democratic Constitution is the key to resolving the country’s longstanding issues.