APC RESTRUCTURING COMMITTEE LIST IS LOPSIDED

24^th July 2017

PRESS RELEASE:

APC RESTRUCTURING COMMITTEE LIST IS LOPSIDED

Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), at its fifth regular joint National Working Committee (NWC) held on Wednesday 19th July, 2017 set up a committee to articulate the party’s notion on restructuring.

A statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, revealed the names of those in the nine-member committee which is under the chairmanship of the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.

They are the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Governor of Kano, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, Governor of Ogun State,  Ibikunle Amosun, former Governor of Edo State, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, APC National Organising Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso, APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi as secretary.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is greatly dissatisfied with the membership of this very important committee.

Our disappointment stems from the exclusiveness of the list. Where are the proponents of restructuring in the committee? They are not there. Can APC shave a man’s head in his absence? Objectivity demands that at least one or two people from the South East where the call for restructuring and self-determination is loudest should be there. We can understand if PDP governors from the South East are excluded but at least a state chairman of the APC from the sub-region should have been picked.

MURIC demands a review of the membership of the committee before its first sitting in the interest of transparency and objectivity. We appeal to agitators who feel genuinely aggrieved to pursue the path of dialogue. The emergence of the ruling party’s restructuring committee is a strong signal that hope is on the way.

Finally, we affirm that although setting up the committee in the first place portrays the ruling party as a listening political body, the recent agitations which created tension in the country calls for cautious, objective and patriotic appraisal.

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
President,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)