South-west patriots finalize regional blueprint for historic National constitutional reform summit

With less than a month to Nigeria’s highly anticipated National Constitutional Reform Summit, The Patriots, a coalition of distinguished Nigerian statesmen led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, is intensifying its campaign for a sweeping overhaul of the country’s constitutional framework.

On Thursday, the South-West Advocacy and Strategy Committee of The Patriots held a pivotal meeting in Ikeja, Lagos, to conclude the region’s position ahead of the landmark summit slated for June 10–11.

The session drew a distinguished gathering of legal luminaries, policy analysts, governance scholars, and retired security officials, all united in the belief that Nigeria is at a constitutional crossroads.

“This is not just another summit,” declared the committee chairman, Mr. Gboyega Adejumo. “This is a defining moment for our nation. The 1999 Constitution is structurally defective and incapable of sustaining the country’s diversity and development ambitions.”

Thursday’s meeting builds on momentum generated by the May 1 inauguration of the summit’s Central Planning Committee at The Patriots’ Secretariat in Ilupeju, Lagos. The committee is jointly chaired by former governors and senators Aminu Tambuwal and Gbenga Daniel, symbolizing the summit’s bipartisan and national character.

To ensure broad representation and consensus-building, zonal committees have been established across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

The South-West deliberation featured robust contributions from prominent voices including Senior Advocate of Nigeria Chief Niyi Akintola, governance expert Professor Anthony Kila, and retired Assistant Inspector General of Police Tunji Alapini.

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The dialogue produced a clear consensus around bold structural reforms, including: A return to full federalism; State-controlled policing; Regional control of natural resources; Rebuilding regional rail infrastructure; Transitioning from a presidential to a parliamentary system; Establishing a regional Supreme Court

“These are not theoretical propositions,” stated Professor Kila. “They are actionable solutions rooted in our national history and aimed at decentralizing power and restoring balance. The grassroots and civil society must be integral to this effort.”

Participants strongly advocated that the summit’s deliberations be anchored in the principles of the 1963 Republican Constitution and the 2014 National Conference Report—documents widely regarded as Nigeria’s most inclusive attempts at constitutional consensus.

Chief Akintola emphasized the need for strategic engagement by the Yoruba nation. “This summit must not be reduced to rhetoric. Only our most intellectually equipped and visionary representatives should speak for us. We must negotiate from a position of unity and depth,” he cautioned.

The forthcoming national summit is expected to feature some of Nigeria’s most respected voices from law, politics, academia, and civil society.

Confirmed keynote speakers include Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, former INEC Chairman Professor Attahiru Jega, and elder statesmen such as Generals T.Y. Danjuma, Ike Nwachukwu, Alani Akinrinade, and Professor Ango Abdullahi.

Also expected are legal and governance experts such as Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Senator Femi Okurounmu, and Dr. Oby Ezekwesili. A distinguished drafting panel—including Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Dr. Akin Fapohunda, Dr. Hauwa Mustapha, and Dr. Bilikisu Magoro—will be tasked with formulating the summit’s final resolutions.

At the core of this initiative is a fervent plea from Chief Anyaoku and The Patriots for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to convene a genuinely sovereign Constituent Assembly. Such a forum, they argue, is the only viable path to crafting a constitution that truly reflects Nigeria’s diverse realities and addresses deep-rooted grievances over structural inequities.

“This is a moment that demands vision and courage,” Anyaoku said at the committee’s inauguration. “We can no longer continue to patch a system that has failed to unite us, failed to secure us, and failed to deliver prosperity. A new constitutional order is not just desirable—it is indispensable.”