Some of Nigeria’s most prominent elder statesmen, political leaders, and civil society figures are set to gather in Abuja this week for a high-level emergency summit aimed at charting a path toward a new constitution for the country.
The summit, titled “Actualising a Constitutional Democracy That Works for All in Nigeria,” will run from Tuesday, July 15, to Thursday, July 17, 2025. It is being convened by The PATRIOTS, a group of respected elder statesmen and thought leaders, in partnership with the Nigerian Political Summit Group (NPSG).
A key highlight of the gathering will be the endorsement and formal presentation of a Draft Legislative Bill for a new Constitution of Nigeria, which organizers say is the product of nationwide consultations and extensive political dialogue. The draft is expected to be submitted to the Presidency and the National Assembly after the summit.
Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and Chair of The PATRIOTS, is leading the summit.
Speaking ahead of the event, organizers described the conference as a historic intervention designed to replace the 1999 Constitution, widely criticized for centralizing power and failing to reflect Nigeria’s diverse social and ethnic realities.
Among the eminent personalities scheduled to address the summit are Nobel laureate Proffessor Wole Soyinka; former Defence Minister General T.Y. Danjuma; Proffessor Ango Abdullahi; veteran politician Mallam Tanko Yakasai; General Ike Nwachukwu; former Chief of Staff to the President Proffessor Ibrahim Gambari; legal luminaries Chief Mamman Osuman, SAN, and Elder Solomon Asemota, SAN; former Akwa Ibom Governor Obong Victor Attah; labour leader Comrade Joe Ajaero; activist Dr. Oby Ezekwesili; and human rights lawyer Barrister Femi Falana, SAN, among others. National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is also expected to participate.
The summit’s organising committee is co-chaired by former Ogun State Governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel and former Speaker of the House of Representatives and ex-Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal. The resolutions committee is led by constitutional lawyer Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN.
In a statement released on Sunday, Olawale Okunniyi, Head of the Summit Joint Secretariat, said the summit seeks to create a viable, inclusive constitutional framework that can tackle Nigeria’s longstanding challenges, including insecurity, economic centralization, and weak institutions.
Critics have long argued that the 1999 Constitution, drafted during the military era without widespread public input, entrenches a unitary system of government that stifles federalism and local governance. Organizers say Nigeria’s current governance framework is ill-equipped to deal with modern realities, from economic competitiveness to social justice and equitable development.
“This summit is not just another political jamboree,” Okunniyi said. “It is a deliberate and inclusive national call to action, aimed at producing a constitution that empowers Nigerians, strengthens institutions, promotes electoral justice, protects minority rights, and enables broad-based development.”
Stakeholders, political actors, civil society organisations, the media, and members of the public have been invited to participate in the proceedings, which organizers describe as a crucial step toward building a more just, participatory, and prosperous Nigeria.