By Emmanuel Mogbede
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has constituted a committee to articulate its position on restructuring of Nigeria as agitations in that regard increases.
The party`s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated in a statement on Wednesday that the decision to raise the committee was part of resolutions reached at a meeting between the party`s National Working Committee (NWC) and governors elected on its platform.
Abdullahi said that with various agitations on restructuring, the concept had assumed several disparate meanings, hence the need for the party to explain its position on it.
According to him, the committee will be headed by Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and has Sen. Olubunmi Adetunmbi as Secretary.
Other members of the committee are Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state, Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau and Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun.
The rest are former Governor of Edo, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, APC National Organising Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso, APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and Hajiya Fatima Balla.
The spokesman said that other issues discussed at the meeting were the party`s national convention and the need to extend the meeting to principal officers of the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, said plans had been concluded for the APC to hold its congress on July 29 to elect delegates for its convention.
He described the party`s loss at the just-concluded bye-election in Osun as a wake-up call on how to deal with future electoral issues.
On the agitation for restructuring, Yari, who is also the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), said that the APC needed to develop a shared meaning on the subject.
“People have said that the APC promised restructuring, so we need to sit down as a party to develop a shared understanding of what we mean by restructuring in our manifesto, “he said.
He added that APC leadership had agreed to meet with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to discuss the party`s convention and national issues generally.
The governor said that APC governors welcomed the Supreme Court ruling on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leadership crisis.
He explained that APC had no plan to make the country a one-party state or to work against the PDP as was being insinuated in some quarters.
“We enjoyed the opposition when we were there and it was from the opposition that we became a ruling party.
“Therefore, the judgement of the Supreme Court does not in any way affect the APC; we are rather, happy about it, “ Yari said.
He maintained that it would be in the interest of the country`s democracy if the PDP could put its house together to ensure a formidable opposition ahead of the 2019 elections.
Yari explained that PDP’s problem was from its fold, and not from the APC or its leadership as was being speculated. (NAN)
