Northern agenda behind Buhari’s opposition to restructuring, says PDP chieftain

President Muhammadu Buhari’s opposition to agitations for restructuring of the country has been attributed to his desire for the continuous domination of the country by the North, which would also afford him opportunity to remain in power and appoint his kinsmen to public positions.
This was the position of a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Chief Sunday Ekanem in a telephone interview with The Daily Times, while reacting to the independence speech of the President.
Ekanem expressed dismay at the President’s continuous opposition to restructuring of the country when it was obvious that a large section of the country was in support of restructuring and true federalism.
He added that the President was taking the position of the North of the country and implementing a Northern agenda, because the current system was in the North’s favour, stressing that the country would remain largely undeveloped if power was not devolved to the regions.
Ekanem who is the South-South leader of the PDP in Lagos State, said the Independence speech of the President was empty and divisive, wondering why the President could not also condemn the Arewa elders for the quit notice the Arewa youths issued the Igbos living in the Northern part of Nigeria.
Speaking further, Ekanem questioned the anti graft war of the current administration, adding that the President should disclose modalities he intend to use in fighting corruption, adding that the refusal to try the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) who was accused of grass cutting scandal, shows the insincerity of the administration in the anti graft war.
He said “The Independent speech was empty, why would he blame the Igbo elders alone, why not also blame the Northern leaders for the Arewa Youths comment? If you look at the speech on corruption it was still the same speech in 1984, let him tell us how he is going to fight corruption, he sent soldiers to kill people agitating peacefully in the East.
“They appointed Salami to head the corruption trial committee, Salami is an APC man, nothing good would come out of the that committee, EfCC is dead, what are they doing, Buhari is just using them as his dog, why can’t they go and arrest the former SSG, Amaechi and others that have been accused of corruption.
“Buhari would not support restructuring of the country because it favours them the way things are, he want the system to remain like this so that he would continue to appoint his Fulani brothers into positions. We want true Federalism, this system is not working,” Ekanem insisted.