The All Progressives Congress, APC was yesterday under fire from friends and foes after its national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun distanced the party from any pre-election promise to restructure the country.
Odigie-Oyegun claimed that the promise to devolve more powers to the states and adopt the principles of true federalism as enunciated in the party’s 2015 manifesto did not amount to restructuring.
Odigie-Oyegun’s assertion, coming on the heels of a declaration by APC governors to support the growing calls for restructuring, appeared to put the national leadership and the governors who are now dictating the policy for the party to be at odds.
Briefing newsmen Thursday night after a meeting of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, and its governors at the Imo State Government Lodge in Abuja, Chief Odigie-Oyegun said the party never promised to restructure Nigeria’s federal structure.
He said: “If you want to know where APC is, read through the manifesto and that is where APC stands. The APC did not say restructuring.”
Even the promise of devolution of powers to the states, Odigie-Oyegun inferred was not a priority for the ruling party which he said is presently preoccupied with how to provide food for Nigerians rather than restructuring.
His words: “What is more important? To fix the economy or to embark on this political issue with all the contentious and different interpretations that the public gives to it? It is very specific in the manifesto, and we are not going to renege on it. No question about that.
“It is contentious, and a lot of people talk about restructuring without any commonality. We have stated clearly what we want to do. They are devolution and true federalism. We really avoided the word restructuring because it means so many things to so many people. We are coming to that but our priority for now, for today is to fix the economy and restore hope, provide jobs to the teeming millions of our youths all over the country. So it is a matter of priority.’’
The APC in its first item in its 2015 manifesto promised to: “Initiate action to amend our Constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties, and responsibilities to states and local governments to entrench true federalism and the federal spirit.”
The party’s seeming backtrack on the issue was flayed yesterday from across the country.
Oyegun is in competition with stand-up comedians—Afenifere
Faulting Oyegun’s position, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere said the APC chairman’s comments show he is in competition with stand up comedians.
Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin said that the APC would be remembered as the greatest tragedy to have befallen Nigeria should it continue to prevent restructuring.
Odumakin said: “Oyegun appears to be in competition with our stand up comedians. What have they done to devolve power in the last two years? On whose table is he providing food? The Nassarawa workers who were breaking their fast with water and citizens who are stealing pots of soup and eba out of hunger will soon march to Abuja on a thank you visit to him.
But let him know that their government will be remembered as the greatest tragedy that befell Nigeria if they continued their obstinacy against the restructuring clamour around which a national consensus is already built.”
They’ve proven to be liars —Uranta, NNSG
Also reacting, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian National Summit Group, NNSG, Mr. Tony Uranta said “The APC Manifesto expressly states that Restructuring is a priority! Oyegun and co. may decide to, yet again, attempt to tell us that dogs are monkeys, but that will not change the truth. Nigerians have ceased to be disappointed in the APC leadership’s penchant for revisionism and mendacious fabrications, even when such have shamelessly and brazenly proved them to be liars.”
On his part, Afenifere chieftain, Chief Supo Shonibare said Oyegun might have been quoted out of context noting that the APC chairman was part of the struggle for democracy.
Shonibare said: “Chief Oyegun and others were with us in the struggle for democracy and I am inclined to believe that he must have been quoted out of context. To be able to restructure the present structure, devolving powers from the omnibus, ineffective, collectively unrepresentative centre is a condition precedent.
That was what Chief Oyegun, Asiwaju Tinubu and all of us in NADECO were agitating for.”
“I was the Chairman of the constitution drafting committee of NADECO in 1995; our draft report contained enumerated powers to be retained by the government of the federal entity, with residual powers to the regions as was contained in our Independence and even Republican Constitutions,” he added.
Besides, he said: “This was the contract our founding leaders voluntarily entered into. The independence constitution is the only constitutional document that has some foundation of a claim to being autochthonous.
All subsequent constitutions have been contrived by the Military in concerto with our power brokers & money mongers.”
In his reaction, Mr. Akin Osuntokun, Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo berated Oyegun-Oyegun saying he has demonstrated a limited understanding of his party’s manifesto. Osuntokun said: “To the extent that what he claims is not consistent with the APC party manifesto-is the extent to which Oyegun, his party, and Nigeria should be pitied.
At best he has demonstrated a limited understanding of his party’s manifesto and ignorance of what constitutes restructuring. If we discountenance the minimalist shortcoming, he doesn’t even seem to understand that devolution itself is restructuring – restructuring of power relations between the centre and the states. So this is a major aspect of the political failure of Nigeria – that the chairman of the governing party is incapable of understanding his party’s manifesto.”
Meanwhile, some northern leaders gave their perspectives on the issue with a warning to Nigerians not to fall to the antics of politicians.
Three leaders- Benue Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, Prof Ango Abdullahi, former Vice Chancellor of the Ahamadu Bello University and a Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, all pleaded for caution.
Let’s return to regional and parliamentary system —Ango Abdullahi
Abdullahi said: “The elite that have been attending national conferences to restructure Nigeria have contributed to the destabilisation of Nigeria. Nigeria should go back to the regional structure which made the centre weak but promoted development at the state and local levels,” Abdullahi suggested.
There’s nothing to restructure —Junaid Mohammed
On his part, Mohammed said: “As far as I am concerned, there is nothing to restructure again. Those asking for restructuring should tell the rest of us what is to be restructured and why.
I am comfortable with the structure of the government as it is. If anybody feels he can agitate himself to power, I wish them good luck. My candid advice to those who do not recognise the game plan of some of the agitators is that they should be careful so that they do not fall into the antics of some desperate and overzealous politicians who are out to plunge Nigeria into avoidable crisis for their own selfish interests.
“There is no need to further whittle the powers of the federal government in favour of the states because even the altruistic ceding of powers from the exclusive list to the concurrent for governors to take over primary schools has resulted in non-payment of salaries to workers the deplorable state of primary schools across the country.
“Ceding more powers to the states would create more havoc for workers and other citizens as some of the states pay more attention to managing security votes than caring for the welfare of the people.
Let NASS handle all issues relating to Restructuring —Gov Ortom
Ortom, on his part, told Saturday Vanguard that: “Rather than raise the alarm and cause undue tension in the land, Nigerians can make their position known to the NASS for necessary legislation on the matter.”
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