Former Nigerian leaders Generals Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo and Abdulsalami Abubakar as well as Goodluck Jonathan will converge on Lagos on Monday, March 18 to dialogue on the future of Nigeria.
Other dignitaries billed for the event are former Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Emeka Anyaoku, Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, former Chief of Army Staff, TY Danjuma, Chairman of the Northern Elders’ Forum, Ango Abdullahi, leader of the Niger Delta, Edwin Clark, former Chief of Defence Staff, Alani Akinrinade and elder statesman Tanko Yakassai.
Also expected are leader of Afenifere Ayo Adebanjo, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, serving and former governors and legislators, eminent Northern and Southern leaders among other leaders of thought in the country.
They would address the constitutional dialogue on the future of Nigeria at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs NIIA, Lagos.
The Chairman of the Patriots, organisers of the event Chief Emeka Anyaoku, said the dialogue was designed to help build national consensus, especially among the Nigerian elite on the constitutional future of Nigeria, particularly on how to make Nigeria work for all its diverse peoples and citizens.
He said the dialogue would mobilise Nigerians towards breaking the barriers against the cohesion and good governance of the country, adding that it was being held in Honour of the late Prof Ben Nwabueze SAN, a foremost champion and protagonist for the convocation of the 2014 National Confab inaugurated 10 years ago on 17th March, 2014 by President Goodluck Jonathan and whose body was laid to rest last month in his home town in Atani, Anambra State.
A statement by Prof. Anthony Kila on behalf of the Patriots Organising Committee, said the historic national meeting is also expected to set a formidable citizens’ agenda for the ongoing constitution review process of the Federal Government initiated by the National Assembly towards the popular reconfiguration, cohesion, stability and prosperity of Nigeria through a constructive advocacy for new democratic people’s constitution to replace the subsisting military decree No 24 of 1999 in force in Nigeria as1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).
