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Oyegun says APC never thought fixing Nigeria’s “bastardised federal structure” was something urgent

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Oyegun says APC never thought fixing Nigeria’s “bastardised federal structure” was something urgent

In defense of the apparent sudden change by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the vexed issue of restructuring, the party’s national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, has said that there was no doubt Nigeria has been runing a “bastardised federal structure”.

He however, said the party never thought fixing it was an issue of urgency.
Though APC’s manifesto has restructuring Nigeria as one of its agenda, many of its chieftains, including President Muhammadu Buhari, had at different times spoke against Nigerians’ demanding for restructuring.

Even the chairman of the APC’s Committee on True Federalism, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, once described those clamouring for restructuring of Nigeria as being “irresponsible.”

APC which eventually set up the El-Rufai committee to look into the vexed issue, has been under attack since the committee months after it was set up, only came up with a report soon after former President Olusegun Obasanjo wrote Buhari and asked him not to seek re-election.

Oyegun, who spoke at the public presentation of the committee’s report in Abuja, on Wednesday, said it was never hidden that Nigeria has been in a bastardised federal structure and that there was the need to revisit the dysfunctional structure in order to change the narrative and ensure that the structure works efficiently for the benefit of all Nigerians.

He said, “There is no question that where we are today is a bastardised federal structure – more or less a unitary system. What we are going to present to you today is the considered view of the majority of Nigerians.”

According to him, contrary to the earlier held view in some quarters that the party had abandoned its promise to restructure the country, he said, “We didn’t think restructuring was an immediate thing. We were faced with an economic crisis; we had to find a new economic reality. We thought it was necessary to lay the foundation of an effective railway system, fix roads and power before proceeding.”

El-Rufai, who spoke through his Special Adviser (Political), Mallam Uba Sani, at the presentation expressed joy that since the committee submitted its findings and recommendations to the National Working Committee of the APC six days ago, that it has continued to receive positive feedback from Nigerians.

“Thus far, we have not heard rebuttals of the recommendations. Rather, there has been a lot of hysteria triggered by seeming disbelief that a party in power at the centre is proposing true federalism.

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“In place of a counter-narrative or alternative position on federalism, what we hear is that the recommendations are coming close to elections. If something is desirable, surely the imminence of elections should not render it unappealing. The reality is that restructuring is a nation-building opportunity,” he said.

The People Democratic Party (PDP), meanwhile has continued to insist that the APC had no desire to restructure Nigeria. It argued that El-Rufai who was eventually drafted to head the APC panel had on June 29, 2017, during an interview on Channels TV, denied that the APC promised restructuring.

The opposition party has maintained that the APC report is “a ruse and a fresh attempt to beguile Nigerians with another round of lies, empty proposals and hollow promises, ahead of 2019 elections, just as it did in 2015.”

 

 

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