The Patriots shift constitutional summit to Wednesday to honour Buhari, Awujale

THE national summit on the future of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy, convened by The Patriots, has been rescheduled by one day in honour of former President Muhammadu Buhari and the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who passed on, on Sunday

Originally slated to hold from July 15 to July 17, 2025, in Abuja, the summit, which is being organized by The Patriots in partnership with the Nigerian Political Summit Group (NPSG)—will now commence tomorrow and end on July 18.

 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 group, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, The Patriots said the decision to defer the opening ceremony followed the ongoing preparations for the burial of the late former President in Daura, Katsina State, and the Awujale of Ijebuland in Ijebu, Ogun State.

It further explained the action is because many key stakeholders, including national delegates and dignitaries, would want to pay their final respects to the two leaders, and would not be able to arrive in Abuja for the Tuesday opening as earlier scheduled.

“Meanwhile, arrival of summit delegates and stakeholders for Registration and Accreditation will continue until 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.

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