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Again, Buhari Rules Out Restructuring Of Polity

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BREAKING: Buhari Signs N21.8 Trillion Budget Into Law

President Muhammadu Buhari has again ruled out the possibility of restructuring the country as advocated by some leaders .

Rejecting calls for restructuring, Buhari said: “You are telling us to dissolve a system and call for an obscure conference to come and discuss how we can move forward as a nation. That can never be done and no country will agree to that.”

Buhari’s position was contained in a message to the launch of the Kudirat Abiola Sabon Gari Peace Foundation in Zaria, Kaduna State.

The president, who was represented as Special Guest of Honour by the Executive Secretary, Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Alhaji Mohammed Bello Shehu, said those calling for the balkanization of Nigeria were only doing so to destabilise his government.

“There is no government in the world that will cede their authority to the people that are not elected,” he said.

He wondered what the advocates of restructuring wanted precisely, saying: “Those who are discussing restructuring, my question is what are you going to restructure?

“If you ask many Nigerians what are they going to restructure, you will find out that they have nothing to talk about.

“Some of them have not even studied the 1999 Constitution. The 1999 Constitution is almost 70 to 80 per cent 1979 Constitution.

“It is okay to demand restructuring, renewal of constitution, but what is most important now is how can Nigeria states make local governments functional? How can Nigerian states make the judiciary independent?

“Rather, we ask Nigerians to put focus on putting pressure on the National Assembly members to make sure that the local government autonomy as enshrined in our constitution is respected and implemented.

“So, if that were to be done, some of the issues like insecurity, you will find a situation where local government chairmen, in collaboration with traditional rulers, will form a chain, a communication to figure out what is really happening.

READ ALSO: South-East Leaders Disown IPOB, Say Group Not Speaking For Igbo

“So, those who are doing that (agitating) should go back and meet their representatives in the House of Assembly and ask for whatever amendment of constitution. Due process should be followed.

“The other issue is that those who are calling for restructuring and conference or what they call ethnic nationality, if you go to Southern Kaduna, Taraba, who is to represent them? We have different combination of ethnicities in many states.

“Even in Kano and Kaduna , Igbos have properties. The same goes with Yorubas. There are Fulani in Port Harcourt. So those calling for whether separation or restructuring, some of them I will say they are very naive or even mischievously dangerous.

“Those agitating for secession are ignorant of war and its consequences, because Nigeria is a dominant force in West Africa.

“My appeal to each and everyone here is to try and educate their children. We are better as a nation. There is no way we can be separated.

“And I said also that the majority of those calling for restructuring are people that are so afraid to go into partisan politics. And even if they were to go into partisan politics, they will not win.”

Buhari in his Democracy Day broadcast last week had said government was not unaware of misgivings causing national discontent in different parts of the country, including allegations of marginalization and constitution amendment and said efforts were on to address such misgivings.

He said: “In responding to the challenges that this period imposes on us, government also recognizes the need to acknowledge notions of marginalization and agitations for constitutional amendments among various segments of our population.

“While this government is not averse to constitutional reform as part of our nation building process, everyone must understand that the primary responsibility for constitutional amendments lies with the National Assembly.

“This body which, as I said, is the arm of government responsible for constitutional changes has concluded the preliminary stages of amending and improving our constitution in a way that the majority of Nigerians will be happy with.

“Government is, however, willing to play a critical role in the constitutional amendment process without usurping the powers of the National Assembly in this regard.

“As a nation we have come very far from where we started and we are getting incrementally closer to where we ought to be.

“Overcoming the present challenges is but one of a necessary process that we have to undergo as a nation so that we can come out stronger.”

The Kudirat Abiola Sabon Gari Peace Foundation was founded in memory of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, wife of the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief M.K.O. Abiola.
Kudirat was born in Zaria.

Also speaking at the event, Kudirat’s son, Alhaji Jamiu Abiola, said the death of his parents would be in vain should Nigeria or its democracy collapse.

Abiola said the foundation was floated to work for peace and unity of Nigeria in the face of agitations for secession.

He said it would work against the forces trying to bring Nigeria down, adding that the creation of Nigeria by God was not a mistake and the country had gone too far as a united nation to break up now.

He said: “I chose to float this foundation now, 25 years after my mother’s demise, because of where we are now as a country.

“Where we are now as a country is very dangerous. We have a democracy but we have fake news and so many things working towards destroying the country.

“So, the same way these forces against the country, we also have to establish forces of our own to work for the country. We should get more forces positively than the negative forces.

“So, this is the time, because if things go wrong and democracy does not work, it means my father and my mother died for nothing, and there is no way I can let that happen.

“So, this time around, we are going to assist the government to look for solutions to the problems, because we don’t want to benefit from government, we want the government to benefit from us.

“So, we are encouraging people to join our course so that we can recover quickly.

“This government has good intentions. They want to do well, but they need us to participate. So, we are drawing the line to say we either move forward or backward, and I am sure Nigerians want to move forward.

Also speaking, Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai of Kaduna State, represented by Education Commissioner Shehu Usman Mohammed, warned that the country had grown beyond separation.

 

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Obaseki Accepts Deputy Governor Shuaibu’s Apologies

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Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy Philip Shaibu

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has accepted the public apologies made by his deputy, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, noting that as a person of faith, he was under obligation to accept the apologies.

In a letter titled, “Re: Public Apology By The Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu,” the governor said in good faith, he trusted that the public apologies as expressed by Shaibu were genuine and followed by contrite steps to improve his conflict resolution skills.

The letter reads: “I have noted the public apology made by the Deputy Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu. This apology followed an aberrant behaviour that contradicts what the people of Edo State stand for.

“To name a few, the Deputy Governor needlessly filed unfounded petitions in the Nigerian courts restraining me, the State House of Assembly and Security agencies from a non-existent impeachment process, followed by repeated breaches of protocol; unwarranted and unprovoked attacks in the media on my person and the State Government. The media frenzy as a result of the above and more, provided an impression of crises that has been precarious and distasteful to Edo people in the State and across the world.

“Although these unwarranted provocations caused me severe personal discomfort, as a person of faith, I am under obligation to accept this apology because as they say, “to err is human, to forgive is divine.”

Obaseki further noted, “In good faith, I trust that the public apology as expressed by the Deputy Governor is genuine and followed by contrite steps to improve his conflict resolution skills. I also enjoin the Deputy Governor to guide his proxies to act in accordance with his piety.”

He added, “It is my sincere hope and that of my other colleagues in government and all well-meaning Edo people, that these rhetorics will be put to an end forthwith to enable this administration finish strong and deliver the dividends of democracy to the greatest number of Edo people over this final twelve (12) months.”

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Return Of Amosun’s Loyalists: Abiodun Displayed Exemplary Political Maturity – Group

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Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun

A youth group within the All Progressives Congress (APC), APC Progressive Front, has commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for what it termed an exemplary attribute of political maturity he displayed over the weekend.

It would be recalled that hundreds of APC members, loyal to ex-governor Ibikunle Amosun, across all the 20 local governments in the State, led by the one-time Chairman of the party, Chief Derin Adebiyi, were on Friday received back to the mainstream of the party by Abiodun, alongside the Chairman of APC in the State, Chief Yemi Sanusi, and other party bigwigs.

In a statement signed on Sunday by its coordinator, Rasheed Sanusi, and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the group lauded the leadership capacity displayed by the governor, saying it was unprecedented in the political space of the state

According to the statement, the governor has proved his capacity as a leading figure in progressive politics beyond every reasonable doubt, adding that it is now incumbent on the returnees to reciprocate the gesture and prove their loyalty to the party.

It opined that the action of the governor has given new hope of a better future to the party in the state and an undiluted testament that APC is truly a progressive party with clear-cut ideology based on popular interest.

“Prince Dapo Abiodun has truly proved himself as a leading democrat among his contemporaries. He has achieved what other leaders before him could not achieve; he has indeed redefined progressive politics in Ogun State.

“The Governor has exhibited unprecedented magnanimity in power and in governance. No one could have imagined that a governor of a state would navigate such a level of gang-up and conspiracy within the party to win an election, and after the victory, he decided to reconcile with those who worked against him and warmly received them back to the party.

“The Governor has taught us a big lesson of inclusive governance and purposeful leadership. He deserves an award in progressive leadership. He remains an institution to study,” the statement read.

The statement further noted that the party remains a formidable force in the state with focus on aggressive development of infrastructure and human capital through the ‘Building our future together’ agenda of the governor.

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Thousands Dump Amosun, Re-Align With Abiodun

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L-R: Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, the leader of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun's political group, Chief Derin Adebiyi; Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo; Governor Dapo Abiodun; Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state; Chief Yemi Sanusi; former Deputy Governor in the state, Alhaja Selimot Badru during the integration of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun's political group from the 20 local government areas of the state into the mainstream of the APC in the state on Friday.

Thousands of loyalists of former governor Ibikunle Amosun from the 20 local government areas of Ogun State have rejoined the mainstream of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.

Receiving the returnees led by the factional Chairman of the Amosun-led party Executive at the Presidential Lodge, Abeokuta, the State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun commended them for their loyalty and being steadfast with what they believed in.

The governor said: “I want to congratulate your sense of loyalty to leadership, which I will say is not only commendable, it is enviable.

“This is a culture that we must promote and entrench. It is a culture that is fast eroding; it is a culture that we are fast losing. Loyalty is 100 per cent.

“For some others, they move once things are not working well, but for you, you stay put. This sense of loyalty is worthy of emulation. We must appreciate the fact that there can only be one leader in a party at a time.

“Even when we have ambitions and desires, we must subordinate ourselves 100% to leadership and believe that it is in that subordination that will allow us to flourish and achieve our objectives, our dreams, our desires and aspirations, not by forming factions or by breaking away.

“Because by so doing, it only weakens the fabric of that collective union that we call our party. You must appreciate that there can be only one leader of the party at a time in the state, and that leader is the governor.

“As the leader of the party, I appreciate the task bestowed on me and it is my duty to work towards individual and collective welfare of our members,” the governor noted.

The governor urged all members to put the past behind them and work towards repositioning the party to achieve its aims and work for the socio-economic development of the state.

“Let us put the past behind us. Let us promote what unites us as a family. I welcome you back. The future of Ogun State is in your hands and it is for us for the taking. The same joy with which the father of the prodigal son received his lost son back home, the same way I receive you today.

“To those who did not leave, please let us receive our brothers and sisters back. To those who are joining us, please let us display a sense of loyalty. I can assure you, you will be fully integrated. ”

The Chairman of the State All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Yemi Sanusi, said in every human relationship, there is bound to be disagreement, adding that even in time of war, there is always a place for peaceful settlement of conflict, calling the returnees to fully integrate themselves with other members of the party.

Leader of the returnees, Chief Derin Adebiyi, said they had all agreed to return to the mainstream to contribute to the development of the party and the state in general, thanking the governor and the party members for receiving them back.

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