APDA wants restructured, united Nigeria

The Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA) has backed the call to restructure Nigeria, saying it will end agitations by ethnic nationalities and youths across the country.

Interim Chairman of the party in Anambra, Chief Obunike Ohaegbu, said in Nnewi on Tuesday that a united Nigeria that was discussed and restructured would be a better for everyone.

He urged the Federal Government to address the issues that were giving rise to the tension in the country.

As panacea, Ohaegbu suggested that the government should make public the resolutions of the 2014 National Conference and allow citizens to decide on it.

“APDA is saying that we need to restructure Nigeria, that if we restructure Nigeria, every Nigerian will have a sense of belonging.

“We made our stand clear that we want Nigerians to be allowed to vote on the 2014 national conference.

“Most, if not all the decisions of the conference, were not voted for; they were arrived at with unanimity.

“So, as a political party, we are thinking that it should be taken to the people to decide what they want to do with it.

“If we have the system running, people will not be clamouring for Biafra,” he said.

Ohaegbu said that the Federal Government should also engage the youths who are heating up the polity in peace talks rather than threatening them.

According to him, this will be more productive than discussing with elders who have little influence over them.

The APDA chieftain blamed the political elite for the problems of the youth, saying that the elite equipped youths with i-pads and smart phones “to insult each other while they wined and dined, leaving the youth frustrated”.

On the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra, he said that the party was ready to take over power from the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

Ohaegbu said that Anambra people deserved more from what they were getting from APGA government under Gov. Willie Obiano, adding that they could not continue to see government run with propaganda.

He said that APGA should no longer use the face of late Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu as its logo, adding that it was an insult to him and the Igbo nation.

“What is it that APGA has done? It has gone to the point that as Ndi-Igbo, we need to come out and be firm that our leader, Ikemba Odumegwu Ojukwu should not be a logo of any political party.

“It has to stop. Every APGA billboard you see in Anambra as we speak today has the picture of Ojukwu. Is he the logo of APGA?

“Ojukwu belongs to Ndi-Igbo; it is an insult for any political party to use Ojukwu as its logo,” he said.

Ohaegbu urged the electorate in the state and the entire country to endeavour to take part in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

Source: NAN