Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to implement the report of the 2014 National Conference in memory of the late Chief Ayo Adebanjo and the late Chief Edwin Clark, whom he said contributed robustly to the conference debates in pursuit of making Nigeria a better place for all.
Chief Adebanjo, the leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, died on February 14, 2025, while Chief Clark, leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), died on February 17, 2025.
Both leaders were key members of the Confab convened in 2014 by then President Goodluck Jonathan to fashion out a new constitution for the country.
Chief George, who is also the Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, made the call on Friday at a press briefing which took place in his office in Ikoyi, Lagos, saying that it would be a good thing if the report of the conference was looked into and implemented.
The PDP chieftain, while making the call, stressed that both Chief Adebanjo and Chief Clark brought their wealth of experience to bear when contributing to the discussions at the Confab, just as he quickly pointed out that the 1999 Constitution currently in operation, which concentrates power at the centre and in the hands of only one person, is not working and has never worked.
Chief George stated that some of the issues the late elder statesmen dealt with extensively were the defects in the 1999 Constitution, which have made it difficult to move the country forward.
According to him, Chief Adebanjo and Chief Clark fought for a better Nigeria, saying that they bridged the gap between the younger and older generations at the Confab because they understood where Nigeria went wrong.
Speaking further, the PDP chieftain asserted that the recommendations included in the 2014 Confab report would help in liberating Nigeria, wondering why the country could not liberate itself if it could liberate other countries like South Africa, Namibia, and Liberia.
He, however, appreciated the two leaders, who he said adopted him as their son, and prayed that God would rest their souls eternally and permit their memories to bring many blessings.
