Obasanjo, Jonathan, and Soyinka Advocate for New Constitution
Obasanjo, Jonathan, and Soyinka Advocate for New Constitution
A total of 529 delegates and 42 speakers are set to participate in the upcoming national summit organised by The Patriots and the Nigerian Political Summit Group, aimed at drafting a new, democratic people’s constitution. The event will commence on Tuesday.
According to the Secretary of the Coordinating Committee for the National Summit on the Future of Nigeria’s Constitutional Democracy, Obonganwan Barbara, the summit is themed “Actualising a Constitutional Democracy That Works for All in Nigeria” and will take place in Abuja from Tuesday to Thursday.
No fewer than 42 speakers are expected to share their insights on the push for a new constitution. Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan will deliver keynote reflections, while Chief Olu Falae and Aisha Babangida will attend as special guests.
A document sighted by The press affirms that keynote speakers are the leader of The Patriots, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; former Chief of Staff to late President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; and Pro-Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Prof Akin Oyebode.
Billed to make presentations on the “Political Reforms” subtheme of the summit are Prof Mike Ozekhome; Solomon Asemota (SAN); Wole Olanipekun (SAN); Senator Femi Okurounmu; Senator Shehu Sani; Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed; and Dr Otive Igbuzor.
To make presentations on “Electoral Reforms” are Prof Jibrin Ibrahim, Dr Usman Bugaje, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, and Ene Obi.
The Head, Summit Joint Secretariat, Olawale Okunniyi, in a statement on Sunday, said the summit would produce a draft legislative bill for a new constitution to be submitted to both the Presidency and the National Assembly.
Okunniyi said, “The summit aims to consolidate ongoing efforts to create a viable, inclusive, and future-ready constitutional framework—moving the country away from the widely criticised and overly centralised 1999 Constitution.
“At the heart of the summit is the endorsement and presentation of a Draft Legislative Bill for a New Constitution of Nigeria—a product of nationwide consultations, intellectual rigour, and inclusive political dialogue—set to be submitted to both the Presidency and the National Assembly.
This summit is not just another political jamboree—it is a deliberate and inclusive national call to action. Its principal objective is to forge a new constitution that empowers Nigerians, strengthens institutions, promotes electoral justice, protects minority rights, and enables broad-based development at all levels.
“It promises to be a cross-sectoral, cross-generational, and cross-regional dialogue, drawing from the collective wisdom and aspirations of Nigerians from all walks of life.”
The Patriots have consistently traced the root of the nation’s challenges to the 1999 Constitution, which it described as unitary and undermines federalism.
Okunniyi added, “The 1999 Constitution, enacted in the twilight of military rule without extensive public consultation, has long been faulted for entrenching a unitary system that stifles federalism, undermines local governance, and fails to reflect Nigeria’s multi-ethnic, pluralistic realities.
Nigeria’s longstanding challenges—ranging from widespread insecurity, mass youth unemployment, and poor public service delivery to weak institutions, inequitable resource distribution, and economic over-centralisation—are widely seen as symptoms of deeper constitutional flaws.
“As global realities continue to evolve technologically, economically, environmentally, and geopolitically, Nigeria remains hampered by a rigid and outdated system of governance that fails to meet the demands of a modern, just, and inclusive society,” organisers of the summit noted.
Among the key discussants expected at the summit are Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Sola Ebiseni, Auwal Rafsanjani, Dr. Sunday Akuns, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Dr. Tafawa Balewa, Prof. Bello Bada, Prof. Yahaya Tanko, and Dr. Sam Amadi.
Also expected are leaders of major sociopolitical and ethnic organisations, including Gen. Ike Nwachukwu (retd); Chief Reuben Fasoranti (Afenifere); Mamman Osuman (Arewa Consultative Forum); Godknows Igali (Pan Niger Delta Forum); and Dr. Bitrus Pogu (Middle Belt Forum).
The summit will also feature goodwill messages from prominent figures such as Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, former Governor Obong Victor Attah, Nigeria Labour Congress President Joe Ajaero, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, and Mr. Bimbo Ashiru.
