Anyaoku, who also serves as the Chairman of the Patriots, mentioned that this was one of the proposals presented during the meeting with the President at the State House in Abuja.
former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku,
Former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku has called on President Bola Tinubu to convene a national constituent assembly to draft a new constitution for the country. Anyaoku, who also chairs the Patriots, made this request during a meeting with the President at the State House in Abuja.
“We presented several proposals to Mr. President and urged him to send an executive bill to the National Assembly, which would focus on two key measures,” Anyaoku said. He explained that the proposed National Constituent Assembly should be composed of individuals elected by the people on a non-party basis, with three representatives from each of the 36 states and one from the Federal Capital Territory.
He elaborated, “One proposal is to convene a National Constituent Assembly, tasked with drafting a new constitution. We suggested that the assembly be made up of individuals elected by the public on a non-party basis—three from each state and one from the Federal Capital Territory.”
Anyaoku further recommended that the bill should include provisions for a national referendum, as current laws do not allow for such a process. “We concluded by proposing that the draft constitution produced by the constituent assembly should be subjected to a national referendum, giving the people of Nigeria the opportunity to approve the new constitution.”
He also addressed the ongoing crisis of protests across the country, advising the President that the federal and state governments should engage in dialogue with the protest leaders. “We suggested that the government take the initiative in dialogue with the protest leaders and that law enforcement agencies, specifically the police and the army, should avoid using lethal force in managing the protests to prevent casualties,” Anyaoku added.
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