DEPUTY National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has demanded for removal of Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as chairman of the party committee on restructuring.
Addressing newsmen on Wednesday at the end of the party, national working committee closed door meeting with its governors, national publicity secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi announced the composition of a nine man-committee on restructuring with the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai as chairman and Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi as secretary.
Mallam Abdullahi told newsmen that the committee would be saddled with the responsibility of explaining to Nigerians what the party meant by restructuring, as he claimed that the party position on devolution of power to states and local government enunciated in its manifesto has been misconstrued as restructuring of the polity.
‘’I have repeatedly mentioned it that when we mentioned setting up a committee on restructuring, what we are talking about is a committee that will articulate what the APC meant by restructuring. We have realized for some time now that when people talk about restructuring, we are no longer sure if they are talking about the same thing.
‘’People have said that the APC promised restructuring. So, we need to sit down as a party to develop a shared understanding of what we mean by restructuring in our manifesto. So, this committee that is set up which will be chaired by the governor of Kaduna is mainly to define exactly what APC mean by restructuring so that every member will know exactly what we mean.’’
But Timi Frank in a statement made available to newsmen yesterday in Abuja called on the party leadership to remove the Kaduna State Governor as chairman of the committee.
The deputy national publicity secretary who had since been placed on suspension by chairman of the party, Odigie Oyegun said Governor Nasir–el-Rufai was not the right person for the assignment as he noted that the Kaduna State governor has been castigating advocates of restructuring of the country.
He said: “Governor El-Rufai has not hidden his opposition to the issue of restructuring since Nigerians began to remind us of our promise which is boldly written in our party promise book, hence the need to remove him because he does not believe in it.
“The Kaduna State Governor has also called some of our leaders and former Head of State different names because of this issue.”
The APC chieftain further cautioned his party not to renege on its pledge to restructure the polity, “for the fact that restructuring is one of the promises in APC manifestoes, it will amount to deceit if the party renege on its promise. Such issue is a non-negotiable and should be a priority that must be fulfilled.”
“I see no reason for setting up a committee for something that is not negotiable at this time.”
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