Eminent citizens under the auspices of Patriots, have discovered the making of people’s constitution as the most auspicious way to save the country from socioeconomic stagnation and political instability.

That finding was made by delegates to the National Constitutional Summit organised by the that group of elder statesmen and women, intellectuals and civic leaders, who disclosed that the proposed new constitution would be drafted by elected members of a Constituent Assembly.

Rising from the summit, which was chaired by former Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the delegates rejected the 1999 Constitution as amended, describing it as an imposed grundorm by the military.

In a resolution jointly read by Profs Maxwell Gidado and Mike Ozhekhome, the Patriots called for an immediate constitutional framework that will return Nigeria to a truly federal system of government.

While noting that the proposed constitution will comprise “federating units that will enjoy their autonomy as obtainable in the First Republic and in other genuine democracies of the world,” they called on President Bola Tinubu to table an executive bill to the effect before the National Assembly.

Part of the resolutions read: “Delegates to Constituent Assembly should be elected on non-partisan basis as well as representatives of special interest groups.”

“The assembly will rewrite a People’s Democratic Constitution that will be subjected to a referendum of the Nigerian people before it is presented to the National Assembly.

“The assembly, in formulating the Constitution, will take into full consideration the 1960, 1963, and 1999 constitutions, the 2014 National Conference recommendations and orders for a return to genuine federalism, and for the future of the United States.”

Further, the eminent citizens discovered that “the current system of government is too expensive, prone to abuse, and a hindrance to people’s welfare,” even as they demanded that the Constituent Assembly should closely examine the most appropriate system of government for Nigeria.

On the fate of the six geopolitical structure of the country, the delegates said a rearrangement was needed, so as to ensure a truly federal system of government and advocated for all elections to be held on a single day.

“That approach is cheaper. Electronic transmission of results should be made mandatory, and all election matters should be concluded before swearing,” they stated, noting that the two-chamber federal legislature as is presently being run “is unsustainably expensive for Nigeria to maintain.”

While recommending that a more appropriate cost-effective system should be explored, the conference expressed the need for independent candidature for aspirants who do not wish to contest election on party basis.

They stated: “Once a person is elected on a platform of a political party he shall remain there till the tenure is over and shall not defect to another party. The consequences, he will lose his seat.”

A legal framework,” the declared, “that will give civil rights of Nigerians in diaspora, to participate in the democratic process, and called for reform of police and justice system, to fight corruption and breach of public trust.

“There should also be established, border/costal security guards to support the conventional security forces, to contain insecurity.”