How restructuring is dividing APC

The growing demand and calls for the restructuring of Nigeria seems to be splitting the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

And it seems the party’s leadership is divided over the issue as its National Working Committee (NWC) is not in agreement on the subject.

The national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had last week presented the issue of restructuring as insignificant in the nation’s polity at the moment. His position was despite deafening calls from different quarters, demanding that the country be restructured.

According to Odigie-Oyegun, some of the more important things in the country which APC is committed at improving upon are the economy and job creation.

But in a sharp contrast, APC South-south zonal national vice chairman, Hilliard Eta, commenting on the issue at the weekend, said that the APC promised to restructure the country. He said the party must start the fulfilment of that pledge before Nigeria disintegrates.

Eta’s position is coming after Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai branded those calling for the restructuring of the country as opportunist and irresponsible.

El-Rufai made his position known on the matter days after APC governor and former miltary president, Ibrahim Babangida supported the call for restructuring.

According to Eta, if APC fails to begin the process for proper restructuring of the country now, it may end up being forced to the table “unnecessary.”

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He said, “If you have restructuring in the manifesto of the party, it is settled that the APC is for restructuring. Not only is the APC for restructuring, the governors elected on the platform of our party have come out to tell the nation that they are also for restructuring.

“I prefer that the restructuring that Nigeria must have, the process should start immediately. The reason is that our economic backwardness, our political backwardness, our social backwardness can be traced largely to the awkward and unsustainable super structure of the country and not the sub-structure of the country.

“So, it is important that we restructure now so that we will not have the unnecessary duty of having to force ourselves to the table.”

Eta said that documents that could help the representatives of the people in the National Assembly in the process of constitutional amendment should be brought together, “whether it is in 2014 or in 2010 conferences”.

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“I think it is a good place to start; all of these documents from the 2014 conference, the one that was conducted by Babangida or Abacha wherever it was conducted should be brought together.

“Nigeria has never been short of ideas. These ideas are found at the shores of government and that is a good place to start and Nigerians who may not have had an opportunity to contribute to those that we have in the shores of government should also be given an opportunity to do so.”

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