By Daniel Kanu
Atiku Abubakar is not sincere with his plan to restructure Nigeria, the All Progressives Congress (APC) warns Ohanaeze Ndigbo, urging it not to put all its eggs in the basket of the man seeking to rule the country.
Many argue that Nigeria has to be restructured for states to live on their own sweat, and develop at their own pace, instead of depending on federal hand outs from the proceeds of oil harnessed from the South South.
President Muhammadu Buhari, candidate of the APC in the coming ballot, is mute on restructuring, but Atiku says he will do it, picking as his running mate, Peter Obi, another advocate, to buttress his plan.
But the APC finds it “curious” that Atiku, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), “has tactically avoided” speaking on restructuring on the campaign trail.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, warned in a statement that Ndigbo, who agitate for restructuring, are being deceived by Atiku.
He said this comes against the backdrop of the disputed “communique” issued by some members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo on the 2019 election.
“With a few members of Ohanaeze falling for Atiku’s antics, it has now become clear that the purported endorsement of Atiku’s presidential ambition does not enjoy the support of most of the Igbos,” he added.
In the view of the APC, one of such proofs is the statement by the Anambra State government dissociating itself from the “dubious” endorsement of Atiku contained in the “equally disputed” communique.
It wondered whether some Ohaneze members who are trying to misrepresent the interest of Ndigbo are Atiku’s friends whom he has promised to make rich as a cardinal policy of his government.
“Besides the deceitful restructuring promise, what else do the Igbo stand to gain from an Atiku Presidency? Nothing!” Issa-Onilu stressed.
“Could it be that Atiku and the PDP’s restructuring rhetoric is selective and bespoke for specific audiences? The answer is yes!
“Atiku’s restructuring rhetoric is simply a convenient, simplistic and populist gimmick aimed at whipping up and exploiting perceived sentiments” for the election.
He warned Ndigbo and all Nigerians to “be wary of Atiku and his PDP ilk who in their desperate quest for power are ever ready to play fraudulent political games and parade themselves as ethnic champions to the gullible. We must protect the sanctity of our nationhood.
“Atiku has refused to speak on the nature of the restructuring that he is cashing in on. But little wonder because he is transactional in nature.
“Atiku has no plan for this country and he is not pretending about it. He has said it clearly and on many occasions that he is seeking power to be able to sell off national assets to make his friends and himself rich.
“There is no doubt that Atiku only intends to use and dump the Igbo people.”
Issa-Onilu recalled that during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku as Vice, Nigeria “witnessed the frequent manipulated changes to the Senate presidency and setting of Igbo brothers against one another for political gains.”
He said the Buhari administration has pursued a deliberate policy of probity, inclusive governance and national spread in the allocation of national resources and development projects across the country.
He cited “about 69 verifiable road and bridge projects” that “are ongoing in the South East. This is unprecedented in the history of our nation.
“Although the contracts for many of the roads were awarded by past PDP administrations, they were either poorly funded or not funded at all, hence work on the road and bridge projects were previously stalled.”
According to the APC, the roads and bridges, which are spread across the five states in the South East, are in different stages of completion, with the funding sourced by the Buhari administration from budget allocations, the Sukuk Bond, and the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund.
“The APC remains the most sincere political platform working to ensure better inclusion and mainstreaming of all geo-political zones in the governance of the country.
“We have held constructive, purposeful, country-wide and multi-sectoral conversation on core issues of true federalism and devolution of powers in line with the party’s Change Agenda.
“Ndigbo and indeed all Nigerians must be wary of the machinations of conmen who now masquerade as ‘messiahs’ in the garb of politicians.
“Their antecedents do not synchronise with the image they now purport which is dangerous. They are latter-day converts on the issue of restructuring who hitherto occupied public offices and did nothing on the issues of restructuring.
“They have now regrouped to exploit the issue of restructuring in furtherance of their selfish political interests. Their sudden silence on the issue of restructuring is certainly ominous.
“The Ndigbo should not fall for this fraud.”
