RESTRUCTURING: What else will APC and El-Rufai’s new team tell Nigerians?

As calls for restructuring grow louder and more intense amidst stringent criticism of the APC-led administration over its continued noncommittal and sometimes dismissive posture on the issue, the party on Wednesday set up a nine-man committee to clarify what it claimed was its own mischaracterized version of restructuring. It said that, “the resolve to clear the air on the party’s position on the matter became pertinent in view of the fact that the term was being misunderstood by the citizenry”.

Spokesperson of the party, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, who disclosed this Thursday at the end of the fifth regular joint APC National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, said Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai is to lead the committee which includes Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, and Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, as members.

Other members include former Governor of Edo State, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, APC National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, and Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi who will serve as Secretary.

This development follows highly controversial statements made by Odigie Oyegun, chairman of the party, Nasir El-rufai, Governor of Kaduna State and newly minted chairman of the committee, as well as other prominent party leaders.

The more you hear, the less you understand

Oyegun had in two separate interviews engaged in a befuddling game of semantics, deflection and prevarication over the question of restructuring. He stated thus in the first case, “What is more important? To fix the economy or embark on political issues and the different interpretations that the public give to it? We are committed to the economy and it says it all in the manifesto”.

Commenting on the widespread critical reaction to his earlier interview comments, he stated that “I do not know what some people want to make out of my statement. Must I be forced to use the word they want me to use, which I do not want to use? I stand by what I said; the APC promised true federalism and I know what true federalism is.

“I did not want to use the word restructuring, which conveys different meanings to many Nigerians. Some will tell you that they want the country to be restructured into 10 federating units; some will say into six federating units; everything is confusing.

“I do not even know what they mean by restructuring. Go and read our party manifesto and see what we said there, we did not promise restructuring. We did not address true federalism all this time because of the collapse of the economy, but we will soon get there.”

In similar vein, Elrufai claimed in an interview that, “For many people, when you talk about restructuring, it is political opportunism. Most of what you see in the media, most of the people that talk about restructuring or give long lectures about restructuring are unable to give you any concrete ideas about what it really means.

“As I said, a lot of the talk on restructuring is political opportunism and irresponsibility in my opinion. It is popular and people that have presidential aspiration think it is a platform on which they can exploit this.”

Other party leaders have also had their choice words to say on the matter. On his part, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said restructuring was not a priority of the Buhari administration.

The Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, adding his voice to the line of argument that restructuring lacked a clear definition, stated that “Every geo-political zone has its own interpretation of restructuring”, concluding that what Nigeria needed was repackaging and not necessarily restructuring.

The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, was more direct and harsh in his approach. He dismissed those calling for restructuring as enemies of the country, while calling on Nigerians to disregard them and their calls which he termed political deceit.

Six is not half a dozen!

But by questioning the definition of restructuring and dismissing its advocates, APC is merely playing a game of fast and loose and being clever by half. The party’s manifesto indeed makes ample provision for restructuring. In its preamble, it states that, “To achieve this laudable programme, APC government shall restructure the country, devolve power to the units, with the best practices of federalism and eliminate unintended paralysis of the center.”

Read also: Atiku gives own version as Nigerians await APC’s definition of restructuring

Furthermore, it is expressly stated in Section 25, titled ‘Politics & Governance of the Manifesto’, that, “the APC believes that our politics is broken. Our nation urgently needs fundamental political reform and improvement in governance to make it more transparent and accountable. APC will: initiate action to amend our Constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties, and responsibilities to states and local governments in order to entrench Federalism and the Federal Spirit”.

A bag full of arrogance and distrust

It is such evidence to the contrary that has created a cloud of distrust over the APC-led government and attracted tons of criticism to it on the issue of restructuring. The party’s rather contradictory and outrightly false positions on restructuring pose a serious credibility challenge to its new committee.

But this is not all that the committee has to worry about; its leadership and mandate are also subjects of controversy.

Many wonder how an El-Rufai, who by virtue of his arrogant dismissal of advocates for restructuring as mere political opportunists has earned the reputation of an opponent to the cause, could be saddled with the responsibility of leading a committee primarily focused on restructuring.

But then again, considering the rather strange mandate of the committee which is to detail the party’s suddenly mysterious unique version of restructuring and educate Nigerians on it, a mission which by its very design reeks of condescension and an arrogation of exclusive superior intelligence to the party’s elite, an El-rufai might be the perfect choice for the committee after all!

This smokescreen won’t clear the fog

This move by the APC will do little to change the predominant narrative about the party’s lack of leadership and good faith on the matter of restructuring, and if anything, further solidify the belief that the party adopts a strategy of throwing up smokescreens in order to deflect critical attention and distract genuine advocates from their cause by sucking up their focus and enthusiasm through a carefully orchestrated counterfeit that is essentially an endless symbolic march to nowhere.

It is this same strategy that many believe is being adopted on the matter of the national minimum wage review which though was agreed upon five months ago, still does not have a fully constituted committee.

What is now apparent is that the party is simply indulging in the politics of convenience. During electioneering, it made outlandish promises on virtually every area of our national life and then when entrusted with the mandate it sought, walks back on its promises in shameless betrayal of the people.

If a party lacks the will and political agency for the tough decisions it promised, it should at least be humble and contrite enough to admit it, rather than engage in a desperate but fruitless search for a false reality!

 

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