A former Minister of Foreign Affairs,retired Maj.-Gen. Ike Nwachukwu says he is optimistic that President Bola Tinubu will deliver on his Renewed Hope Agenda to the people.
Nwachukwu, one of the leaders of The Patriots, an eminent group of leaders of thought, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
He spoke when the Patriots visited the residence of late Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of the annulled June 12 1993 Presidential Election to pay tribute on the occasion of the 2024 anniversary of June 12.
The group, led by the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nation, Chief Emeka Anyaoku came to Abiola’s tomb to pray and to lay wreath.
Speaking to NAN, Nwachukwu, who said that it was too early to pass comments on the administration of Tinubu, said with the support of the people, the President could deliver his promised hope.
“He (Tinubu) came telling us that we should look for renewed hope, and I am holding him down to giving Nigerians that renewed hope.
“With his background over the years as a democratic, I have no doubt in my mind that he should be able to do that with the support of the people,” the retired military general said.
Speaking on the 25th Anniversary of uninterrupted democracy in the country, Nwachukwu said that Nigerian democracy started well but unfortunately down the line, the nation missed the mark.
According to him, Nigeria needs to facilitate a process to birth ta people’s constitution that will provide a platform for sustainable growth and development.
Nwachukwu said: “That is why we are all asking today, give us a new constitution that we can call people’s constitution.
“A constitution which every ethnic nationality would have a say in producing, based on the values we all share.
“A constitution that will ensure that whoever gets into power at all levels -local government, state and federal – must holds those ideals and values, and stand in them.”
Noting that the current democracy was faced with challenges , Nwachukwu said that the nation also needed electoral reforms.
“We must therefore be able to ensure we have an electoral process, handled by decent people who understand their responsibility to the people.
“We need people who will ensure when people vote for X or Y, whoever they preferred should be pronounced the winner and the true representative of the people,” he said.
He urged the people to make their representatives accountable to them.(NAN)
