Confab Ends Peacefully As Delegates Adopt Amended Draft Constitution

FROM LEFT: NATIONAL CONFERENCE CHAIRMAN JUSTICE IDRIS KUTIGI, WITH SECRETARY MRS. VALERIE AZINGE AND ASSISTANT SECRETARY DR. AKILU INDABAWA, AT THE PLENARY SESSION IN ABUJA YESTERDAY.
FROM LEFT: NATIONAL CONFERENCE CHAIRMAN JUSTICE IDRIS KUTIGI, WITH SECRETARY MRS. VALERIE AZINGE AND ASSISTANT SECRETARY DR. AKILU INDABAWA, AT THE PLENARY SESSION IN ABUJA YESTERDAY.

After months of deliberations, sometimes heated, but all towards finding a common ground for a better Nigeria, the National Conference came to a peaceful conclusion on Thursday, as delegates agreed to a change in the draft constitution through a majority voice vote.

The peaceful conclusion to the conference was a culmination of a series of meetings the Chairman of the Conference, Justice Idris Kutigi (retd), held with many zonal leaders at the National Judicial Institute, venue of the conference on Wednesday.

Members agreed to a minor amendment to the third volume of the conference report by replacing the contentious ‘draft constitution’ to read ‘Resolutions of the conference as draft amendments to 1999 constitution’.

Northern delegates, who had earlier insisted that the leadership of the national conference should withdraw the contentious ‘draft constitution’, also joined other delegates in adopting the recommendations of the conference.

The motion for the amendment was moved by Maina Waziri.

A former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), moved the motion for the adoption of the conference report and was seconded by ‎Yadomah Mandara.

The conference, which was inaugurated on March 17, 2014 by President Goodluck Jonathan, will be formally declared closed on Thursday, August 21, 2014.