Members of The Patriots led by former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku are to meet the Senate and the House of Representatives leaders in April as a follow-up to an August 9, 2024 meeting held with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The eminent Nigerians are Ike Nwachukwu, Tanko Yakasai, Olusegun Osoba, Alani Akinrinade, Anya O. Anya, Idika Kalu, Obiageli Ezekwesili, Philip Asiodu, Pat Utomi, Solomon Asemota (SAN), Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Obong Victor Attah, Anthony Kila and Labaran Maku.
The General Secretary of The Patriots, Olawale Okunniyi, revealed this on Wednesday, during the 20th memorial anniversary of their founding chairman, Chief FRA Williams at the FRA Williams Chambers in Lagos.
Okunniyi said the group will meet the National Assembly to demand the lawmakers to amend Section 8 and 9 of the 1999 Constitution to include a Referendum/Plebiscite clause to give the people the right to change the Constitution any time.
Okunniyi said the group would also take the advocacy for a new Constitution to labour and influential leaders, as well as leaders of thought in the geopolitical zones and traditional rulers.
He said the zonal advocacy outreaches are also to begin in April.
Some of those who advanced The Patriots cause at Wednesday’s memorial event were Prof Anthony Kila, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, Fafa Dan-Princewill, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ezenwa and son of the late FRA Williams, Kayode.
The eminent Nigerians maintain that it is with the people’s democratic Constitution that solutions to the nation’s challenges of hardship, corruption and insecurity could be found.
He said we need for a referendum, adding that “on August 9, 2024, we met with President Tinubu where we stressed that there is need to replace the 1999 Constitution which has impeded our progress as a nation.
“We demand the President to immediately convene a Constituent Assembly for people to negotiate their existence. A people’s democratic Constitution is way out of hardship, corruption and insecurity.
“The current Constitution is warped, fashioned after corruption and supports corruption. The foundation, which is the Constitution, is faulty. Only two percent of Nigerians are benefiting from the Constitution and we need to correct this anomaly. We need a Constitution of the people that works for the poorest of the poor.
“Our next plan is to meet with the leadership of the National Assembly. We have made contact with the leadership of the National Assembly and the meeting will happen in April. We may meet the Senate and House of Representatives jointly or separately, however, it will happen on the same day.
“After meeting the National Assembly, we will, in the same April, begin zonal outreaches, advocacy to traditional rulers, influential leaders of geopolitical zones, labour leaders.”
He blamed former President Goodluck Jonathan for not sending the 2014 Confab report as a bill to the National Assembly where a referendum on the report would have been done by a Constituent Assembly.
He, however, said the 2014 Confab report, the 1963, 1979, 1989, 1993 Constitutions would serve as working documents when a Constituent Assembly is convened.
In his short remarks, Kayode Williams expressed belief that The Patriots agitation would come to pass, asserting his belief that President Bola Tinubu wants true federalism.
Another representative of the FRA Williams family, Folarin said a new Constitution was crucial to enthrone a proper federal structure.
