By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised alarm over plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to smuggle the report of its committee on restructuring into the National Assembly to replace the 2014 National Conference Report.
The PDP describes the move as an unpardonable assault on the sensibility of over 200 million Nigerians, whose collective interests are contained in the Conference Report.
National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Kola Ologbondiyan in a statement on Tuesday alerted Nigerians of a fresh ploy by some APC leaders to blackmail the legislature and create an impression of commitment to restructuring, just to beguile the people and soften the ground for their personal political ambitions ahead of the 2023 elections.
PDP according to the statement, reiterated its support for genuine restructuring.
“We hold that the authentic materials for a genuine restructuring are contained in the 2014 National Conference report, wherein, Nigerians, across all the divides, collectively provided a road map out of our constitutional quagmires; and not a partisan report by the APC.
“It is therefore unacceptable that the 2014 National Conference report, which embodies the desires and hopes of over 200 million Nigerians, has been shelved by President Muhammadu Buhari, since his predecessor in office, President Goodluck Jonathan, personally handed it over to him in 2015 for implementation in line with the wishes and aspirations of the people” PDP stated.
The party charged President Muhammadu Buhari to present the 2014 National Conference Report to the National Assembly as an Executive Bill to serve as a guide for the desired amendment to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) with regard to restructuring.
The PDP cautioned the APC to note that Nigerians are not interested in their antics but in a genuine effort towards a holistic amendment process that will restructure the country in the areas of true federalism, devolution of powers, electoral reforms and unbundling of critical items in the exclusive list.
PDP stressed that what the country needs is a restructuring that is genuinely derived from the people that will guarantees true federalism, equity, justice, fairness as well as national cohesion.
