Anyaoku
Vote only pro-reform parties in 2027, Anyaoku’s group tells Nigerians
A non-partisan assembly of prominent Nigerians, known as the Patriots and chaired by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has called on the electorate to back only political parties whose manifestos explicitly promise a fundamental restructuring of the country’s governance system.
The appeal followed a Lagos meeting where the group reviewed the nation’s condition, anchoring its position on what it termed escalating insecurity and mounting evidence that Nigeria’s current framework cannot manage the crisis.
Anyaoku pointed to relentless killings, abductions, and community displacements—particularly in the Northeast, Northwest, North Central, and now parts of the Southwest—as proof that urgent constitutional overhaul is needed.
A communiqué issued after the gathering voiced “serious concern about the unabated killings, kidnappings and the sacking by bandits of communities from their homes and ancestral lands,” noting the rising number of internally displaced persons and farmers unable to return to their fields, which deepens food insecurity risks.
The group declared that insecurity must now be treated as a “national protection, governance and economic survival crisis,” urging the Federal Government to set up a special committee to recommend comprehensive solutions.
But beyond immediate security responses, the Patriots argued that durable peace and stability can only come from restructuring the governance system.
They restated their long-held view that the 1999 Constitution—drafted and imposed by a military regime—lacks both democratic legitimacy and the structural balance needed to manage Nigeria’s diversity and security threats.
“The myriad challenges facing Nigeria can only be effectively addressed by replacing the country’s present governing system… with a governance system to be derived from a new democratic people’s constitution,” the communiqué read.
That new constitution, the group reiterated, should be crafted by an assembly of representatives elected on a non-party basis by Nigerians.
When asked whether a shift in mindset rather than a new constitution was Nigeria’s most pressing need, Anyaoku insisted that governance structure remains fundamental.
“If you have a constitution that clearly defines the responsibilities of leadership and what they can and cannot do, you will go a long way in checking the level of corruption and mis-governance,” he said.
He recalled that a previous national summit convened by the Patriots in Abuja had recommended, among other changes, allowing independent candidates to run—a reform intended to broaden participation and weaken the hold of entrenched party machines.
The Patriots framed the 2027 elections as a historic opening for Nigerians to peacefully change the country’s direction.
They lamented the absence of ideology-driven politics, citing frequent defections by elected officials as proof that parties have become mere vehicles for power and public office.
In what appears a strategic shift from earlier broad reform appeals, the group urged voters to examine party manifestos and back only those that make restructuring a central pledge.
“The Patriots call on the electorate to vote in 2027 for candidates of political parties whose manifestoes contain a commitment to the restructuring of the country’s present governance system,” the communiqué stated.
The group also called on parties to run issue-based campaigns rather than resort to personal attacks, stressing that the gravity of Nigeria’s problems demands substantive national debate.
Placing restructuring at the heart of their intervention, the Patriots expressed alarm over the high cost of seeking office, warning that rising nomination and expression-of-interest fees shut out credible Nigerians—including professionals like teachers—from contesting.
Money-driven politics, they warned, undermines democracy and weakens leadership quality.
The group acknowledged recent federal economic reforms that have improved macroeconomic indicators, but voiced concern that poverty remains widespread, with roughly 63 percent of Nigerians classified as multi-dimensionally poor, according to official data.
In a cautionary note, the Patriots stressed that the Federal Government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and state and local authorities should remember that the international community will monitor how the 2027 elections are conducted.
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