Afenifere, PANDEF, Others Blast President Buhari Over His Statement On Restructuring

President Muhammadu Buhari (File Photo)

Group Vows Not To Support Any Candidate Against Restructuring In 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari has been highly criticized yesterday for accusing groups that called for restructuring of the country of nursing selfish interests.

It will be recalled that Naija News reported that President Buhari stated this while receiving traditional rulers and the leadership of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) and members of the Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) from Delta State at the Presidential Villa on Monday.

Naija News also learnt that the various supporters of the calls while responding to the presidency’s statement considered Buhari as being ignorant of the enormity of the challenges facing the country.

The groups therefore urged him to read the report of the 2014 National Conference which, they said, addressed virtually every problem about the structure and governance in the country.

Reacting to the president’s position, Naija News learnt that the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, in a statement issued after its general meeting held at the residence of its leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure, Ondo State, yesterday said the calls for restructuring were selfless and they were borne out of the need to retrieve the country from the brink of collapse.

You Came To Power Under Restucturing Agenda,Afenifere, ITTO Slams Buhari

“If the president talks about people with personal agenda on restructuring, it can only be those who inserted it in their manifestos to win elections and turned around to say they are getting different definitions of restructuring after they came to power.

“We insist that for the country to move forward and develop, it has to be restructured into a proper federation,” he said.

Naija News also understands that the President of Ibo Think Tank organisation, Aka Ikenga, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, said: “Restructuring was there in the APC campaign manifesto.

Interestingly also, when the party discovered the issue was becoming a burden, it set up a committee led by Governor Nasir El- Rufai of Kaduna State.

“The committee came up with a report in support of restructuring, why he is adamant on the issue is what I don’t know. He should read the recommendations of the constitutional conference.

It is like President Buhari is yet to grapple with the fact that the centre is overloaded with responsibilities it could not handle.

That is one of the reasons we are shouting restructuring. Even in advanced world, there is restructuring ongoing, why is Nigeria different?”

Your Government Cannot Develop Nigeria Without Restructuring, ITTO Says

The lawyer said President Buhari should not be deceived that his government could develop Nigeria or achieve anything extraordinary to change its fortune without restructuring.

Even the chairman of the constitution drafting committee of the ruling APC, Chief Segun Osoba, in one of his interactions with The Guardian, declared that Nigeria was built on deception and corruption, hence the need to review its structure for the good of all.

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) said Buhari’s position on restructuring indicated his lack of awareness of the prevailing realities in the country.

PANDEF spokesperson, Anabs Sara-Igbe, said the people of the Niger Delta would not vote for any candidate who does not support restructuring of the country.

Sara-Igbe told The Guardian that for decades, ethnic nationalities in the South-South, South- East, South-West, and the North-Central geopolitical zones had unanimously been demanding the restructuring of the country due to the contradictions inherent in its political and economic structures.
According to him, the Niger Delta which produces the bulk of the country’s revenue is desirous of a Nigeria where the federating units control their natural resources.

First civilian governor of Enugu State and ex-national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, said nobody should be worried about Buhari’s statement because the president never believed in restructuring.

Nwodo said: “My prayer is for the southerners and middle belt people to stand their ground in 2019 by voting against any candidate who does not support restructuring. If not, anybody hoping and waiting for the president (Buhari) to restructure Nigeria will wait forever.”