2014 confab mere political gathering —Odigie-Oyegun

NATIONAL chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on Thursday, dashed the expectations of agitators for the implementation of recommendations of the 2014 national conference, as he described it as mere political gathering.

Inaugurating a 24 member committee of the party on restructuring, which has Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, as chairman and Senator Olubunmi Adetunbi as secretary, the party chairman cautioned the team to restrict itself to the constitution and manifesto of the party in the course of its assignment.

The 2014 national conference was inaugurated by  former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, on March 17, 2014 in  Abuja.

About  492 delegates which cut across all geopolitical zones in the country, including professional bodies participated in the national discourse which had a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Kutigi, as chairman; Professor Bolaji Akinyemi as vice chairman and Dr Valerie Azinge as secretary.

Further checks by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that following a plenary session that lasted for weeks, the conference was sub-divided into 20 committees which included that on devolution of power, political restructuring and forms of government, national security, environment, politics and governance, among others.

The conference later presented its report to President Jonathan.

But addressing the gathering of the party chieftains, Chief Odigie-Oyegun claimed the party knew the national conference was doomed to fail, adding that the knowledge informed the stance of the party as the main opposition party as the time.

“In principle, we refused to attend because it (confab) was a mere political affair; that’s the last constitutional gathering of the last administration in this country.

“But I expect you to look at whatever documentation available on this subject. I expect you to look at whatever views or positions that are available but, of course, I expect you at all times that your anchor will be first, the constitution of the party and two, the manifesto because it is on the manifesto that we went to the public of this nation.

“It was on the promises we made on that manifesto that we were elected, that resulted in our being the ruling party in this nation today. So, it must continue to be our basic starting point in whatever we do,” Odigie-Oyegun told the committee.

He further admonished the members not to entertain or  take position that would negatively affect the political configuration of the country, as enshrined in its 1999 Constitution.

In his remarks, Governor el-Rufai said the national chairman had made it clear that APC believed in restructuring, fiscal federalism and power devolution.

He further said the ruling party had done more in balancing the federation than any government in recent history.

The Kaduna State governor promised that the committee would take memoranda from members of the public, with youths as its major target, adding that the committee would tour 12 states of the federation.

“We are calling on every Nigerian, particularly the youth to seize the moment and tell us what they think. It is for them to tell us what they want the Nigeria of tomorrow to look like, so that we can lay the foundation to achieve  that new Nigeria.

“It will be the first opportunity that Nigerians would have to debate Nigeria,” he said.