Clamors of restructuring should desist from APC manifestos – Oyegun

The National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) chief John Odigie Oyegun, at the party secretariat in Abuja on Thursday (Yesterday) inaugurated the committee for true Federalism saying that those clamoring for restructuring should desist from our party manifestos.

Oyegun also said for the interest of the misgiving in the public domain about true federalism which meant many things to many people, if any group can claim ownership to the principles and the need for true federalism, that group is the APC.

He said, “If any group can claim ownership to the principle and the need for true federalism, that group is the APC. From our constituent units, that was one of the principal points and when we sat down to negotiate the union, this great union called the APC, it was one of the principal issues that was almost like a no go item.

“We negotiated and agreed and as a result, the constitution of the party, the manifesto of the party was very elaborate in their references to true federalism and devolution of power. It is therefore totally inconceivable for uninformed members of the public jumped on this bandwagon of reconstituting the federation to give the impression that the party was in any way against the principle of taking a fresh look at the basis of our federalism”.

The national chairman said that for the party, it is already a mantra, things that need to be tinkered with in any way sacrificing, jeopardizing the fundamental unity of the federal republic of Nigeria especially in the light of the clamor for restructuring , devolution of power, fiscal federalism and resource control.

“The APC constitution and manifesto vigorously canvass these issues and they are very elaborately provided for. The party position has been eloquently stated in the terms of references of this committee”, he said.

Kaduna state governor and chairman of the committee, Nasir El Rufai in his remarks said
it is part of our manifesto and campaign commitment to ensure that we have a balanced Federation and believe in fiscal federalism.

“It is clearly written in our party manifesto; it there is any party that has moved towards trying to balance this Federation, it is the APC government and this has been done in real practical terms. We can give example as state governors of the level of participation of states in certain economic policy direction for the country”.

He said the committee has identified twelve key issues that need to be discussed by Nigerians in other to have a clear direction, roadmap and steps to be taken to clarify and articulate the position of the APC on the subject of true federalism, restructuring and devolution of power.
The twenty four man committee headed by the Kaduna state governor, Nasir El’Rufai also has Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi as Secretary.