From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Ahead of the February 16 polls, former President of the Senate, Chief Ken Nnamani has asked the Igbo nation not to allow anybody hoodwink them with the promise of restructuring Nigeria.
He also debunked the impression being created that his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is averse to restructuring, noting that the party could not have empanelled the Nasir el-Rufai committee on restructuring if it was not keen about it.
The APC chieftain, who was apparently referring to the Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s adoption of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for promising to restructure the country explained that no single individual; arm of government or political party could restructure the nation.
Speaking in Enugu, Nnamani said restructuring requires the concerted effort of everybody.
“APC, the party I belong to is not averse to restructuring. It set up a committee headed by Governor Nasir el-Rufai on restructuring. I was in Ibadan recently, during the birthday of Chief Bisi Akande; and that was the paper presented. I was one of the discussants.
“By the way, any person telling you that he is going to restructure Nigeria; be he the President; Senate President or the Chief Justice of Nigeria-those are the heads of the three arms of Government; it wouldn’t work. It requires the concerted effort of everyone; it’s just a fallacy. You require the National Assembly; you require amendment of our constitution; all hands should be on deck. In restructuring, State Assemblies will be involved; the governors, everybody.
“It’s a good thing to restructure. We can restructure and still remain one country. There’s nothing bad about that; but it’s the method. But for a socio-cultural organisation like Ohanaeze now to take a position, that somebody said ‘I will restructure Nigeria’, it doesn’t lie in any persons hand to restructure Nigeria; neither APC, PDP or any other party,” he said.