Restructuring: APC warns Nigerians to be wary of Atiku, Mark

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned Nigerians to be wary of Senator David Mark and Atiku Abubakar’s views on the restructuring of Nigeria.

It said a practical approach to implement the report of Governor Nasir El-Rufai-led Committee on True Federalism was being considered by the Federal Government.

The acting National Publicity Secretary of the ruling party, Mr Yekini Nabena said in a statement issued over the renewed restructuring debate particularly between the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and one of his predecessors, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

He said the APC agreed with Vice President Osinbajo that what Nigeria requires now is not geographic restructuring but good governance, honest management of public resources, deeper fiscal federalism and a clear vision for development.

He said the calls for restructuring by many politicians were often a populist and opportunistic ploy to exploit “simplistic public narratives on the panacea to Nigeria’s problems and not necessarily for its realism and practicability.”

“With emphasis on practicability, constitutionality and reality, we are confident that true federalism or restructuring as some will like to call it will be better achieved under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration,” said Nabena.

“For instance, Alhaji Atiku was Vice President and Chairman of the National Economic Council throughout the eight years of the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration. How did he use his office to correct the imbalance in our federation he expresses today? Senator David Mark was Senate President for eight years and never sponsored a motion on restructuring. Today, he is promising to restructure the country.

“We must be wary of latter-day converts to the matter of restructuring, exploiting the issue for populist political campaigns.”