National Constitutional Summit postponed to honour Buhari

The opening ceremony of the highly anticipated National Summit on the Future of Nigeria’s Constitutional Democracy—convened by The PATRIOTS in partnership with the Nigerian Political Summit Group (NPSG)—has been rescheduled by one day in honour of two eminent national figures, former President Muhammadu Buhari and the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who both passed away on Sunday, July 13, 2025.

Originally slated to hold from Tuesday, July 15 to Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Abuja, the emergency constitutional summit will now commence on Wednesday, July 16 and end on Friday, July 18, 2025. The shift, according to the organisers, became necessary to honour the memory and legacies of the two iconic Nigerian leaders.

In a statement personally signed by the Chairman of The Patriots, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the decision to defer the opening ceremony by one day follows the ongoing preparations for the burial of the late former President in Daura, Katsina State, and the Awujale of Ijebuland in Ijebu, Ogun State; as many key stakeholders, including national delegates and dignitaries, who are currently en route to both locations to pay their final respects, and would not have been able to arrive Abuja for the Tuesday opening as earlier scheduled.

“Meanwhile, arrival of summit delegates and stakeholders for Registration and Accreditation will continue until Tuesday, July 15, as earlier planned, while the opening ceremony will now hold on Wednesday, July 16, in recognition of the national mourning and out of deep respect for the two departed statesmen,” the statement read.

The summit—widely regarded as a landmark national intervention—will bring together former Presidents, elder statesmen, former and serving Governors, top civic leaders, constitutional experts, captains of industry, members of the civil society, and other stakeholders in an urgent bid to lay the foundation for a truly democratic, inclusive, and people-driven constitution for Nigeria.

At the core of the three-day summit is the endorsement and formal presentation of a Draft Legislative Bill for a New Constitution of Nigeria, crafted through a wide-ranging national consultative process. This draft will be submitted to both the Presidency and the National Assembly as part of efforts to replace the 1999 Constitution, long criticized for its overly centralized, unitary structure and lack of popular legitimacy.

With the theme “Actualising a Constitutional Democracy That Works for All in Nigeria,” the summit seeks to consolidate and elevate reform efforts aimed at building a more federal, accountable, and future-ready governance system in line with Nigeria’s diverse realities.

Convened under the leadership of Chief Emeka Anyaoku, GCON, CFR, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and Chair of The PATRIOTS, the summit will also feature prominent national voices including Prof. Wole Soyinka, General T.Y. Danjuma, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, Mallam Tanko Yakasai, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Chief Mamman Osuman, SAN, and Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, among many others.

The Organising Committee is co-chaired by Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, while the Summit Resolutions Committee is led by Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN.

The conveners—comprising a coalition of statesmen, professionals, political reformers, and civic advocates—are united in their call for a new constitutional order that can effectively respond to the structural and developmental challenges Nigeria faces, including insecurity, youth unemployment, poor governance, and economic dislocation.

Calling on Nigerians to rally behind this transformative initiative, the Summit Secretariat reiterated that the summit is not a mere ceremonial event, but a crucial step toward national renewal. “We invite all Nigerians—across sectors, generations, and regions—to participate in and support this collective effort to build a just, equitable, and prosperous future through a truly democratic constitution,” the organisers said.

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