Constitutional lawyer and leader of The Patriots, a group made up of eminent Nigerians, Ben Nwabueze, on Thursday reiterated his advice earlier to President Goodluck Jonathan to bury his ambition to run for re-election in 2015.
Nwabueze gave the advice shortly after leading a delegation of the group on a courtesy call on Jonathan at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
Members of the delegation include Ayo Adebanjo, Solomon Asemota, Chris Okoye, Bola Kuforiji-Olubi, Dan Suleiman, Kimse Okoko and Michael Orobator.
Emerging from the group’s closed door meeting with the President, Nwabueze told reporters that Jonathan would become an “instant hero” if he dumped any 2015 ambition and focus instead on national transformation.
The Patriots presented its position on the imperative of convening a National Conference to the President at the meeting.
Nwabueze said though the issue of 2015 was not raised at the parley with Jonathan, but on the prompting of journalists, he said he was not shifting ground on his position regarding Jonathan and his possible 2015 ambition.
“That is not the purpose of our meeting today, but that is my view and I still maintain that view today.
“I still believe that the paramount problem of this country is national transformation; that you cannot combine national transformation with contesting election.
“The two are so different, because once you get involved in the election campaigns you undermine your authority to lead the nation for national transformation.
“And I said if I were the President of Nigeria, that I would restrict myself to serving the nation, in transforming this country, creating a new Nigeria, and creating a new society. That would be my concern and I would go down in history as a hero.
“So, if Mr. President does that, he would become an instant hero to this country. But it is for him to choose; if I were him, I would choose to become a hero to lead the country into transformation and abandon the ambition of a second term.
“That is what I said and I still stand by it and that is what I would do if I were the President of the country, but unfortunately, I’m not,” Nwabueze, an elder statesman, added.
Answering question on Jonathan’s eligibility to even contest the 2015 polls, Nwabueze retorted: “That is not an issue. Mr. President is eligible; nobody is questioning his eligibility.
“What makes him ineligible? Nothing. He is eligible, but that is a personal decision for him to take.”
On The Patriots’ persistent demand for the convocation of a national conference, Nwabueze said the group told Jonathan that Nigeria was in dire need of transformation, and “we believe that the way to achieve that objective is through a National Conference of ethnic nationalities in this country” as a matter of priority before 2015 general elections.
He explained that the country’s 389 ethnic nationalities need to sit at a conference table to discuss “how to live together as one country in peace, in stability, in security as one country with the aim of achieving national unity.”
Asked why a national conference when the National Assembly was in place, Nwabueze replied: “It is important what the National Assembly is putting forward; that their power under Sections 8 and 9 is to alter the Constitution.
“Power to alter is not as important as power to abolish what you are altering and to replace it completely, and we say no. In this country, we need the people’s Constitution whose source of authority derives directly from the people.
“Forget about the contents, we will talk about the contents later – Presidential, parliamentary and all that.
“Though important, they are not as important as the source, where does this supreme law derive its authorities? It must be directly from the people and that is the position of at least 85 per cent of the countries of the world.”
He added: “Don’t let us confine ourselves to Sections 8 and 9, because the 1999 Constitution is a schedule to Decree 24. If you read Section 1(1) of the decree there are all preambles to that decree and the 1999 Constitution that you are talking about is a schedule to Decree 24.
“Repeal the decree and the Constitution will disappear and you enact a brand new Constitution which would derive its authorities from the people, that was what was done in 1963, when we adopted the Republican Constitution to replace the Independence Constitution.
“That 1960 Constitution was also a schedule to British Order-in-Council just as the 1999 Constitution is a schedule to the Decree 24.
“In 1963, we abolished the schedule under Section 2 of the Order-in-Council and made a new Constitution called the Republican Constitution.
“That is what we should do now, abolish the schedule and relieve yourself entirely free to make the peoples’ Constitution.”
But a statement issued afterwards by Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, quoted Jonathan as having replied the group that he was equally not averse to Nigerians coming together to discuss how they will continue to live together in peace and unity.
In fact, the President noted that there had been constant discussions within government on how to create an acceptable and workable platform for a national dialogue to transform the ties that bind the country’s many ethnic nationalities into a source of strength and greatness.
However, he added, “The limitation we have is that the Constitution appears to have given that responsibility to the National Assembly.”
“I have also been discussing the matter with the leadership of the National Assembly. We want a situation where everyone will key into the process and agree on the way forward,” he stated.
The President thanked The Patriots for acknowledging Federal Government’s efforts to implement his administration’s agenda for national transformation.
According to him, “As a government, we are totally committed to transforming this country, positive things are being done and by the grace of God, we will get to where we ought to be as a nation.”
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