Restructuring: Solution lies in past constitutional amendment ―APC chieftain

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, has said that solution to growing call for restructuring and power devolution in the country lies on various reports on constitutional amendments.

He also expressed delight over safe return of President Muhammadu Buhari to Nigeria from London where he had gone on medical vacation.

Baraje, who served as National Secretary and Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) at various times before decamping to the APC along with the nPDP group, said recommendations of various constitutional conferences would resolve current challenges that had led to agitation for restructuring when adopted.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin at graduation of the 2017 set of students from Baraje Centre for Arabic and Islamic Studies at the weekend, the APC chieftain said that having been a participant at the 2005 conference, he was sure that the solution to the agitation already exists.

According to Baraje, each conference normally adopted from series of recommendations of previous ones in order to arrive at their own, hence most of the recommendations were always similar.

“Even before I joined politics, I have always believed in the devolution of power but you see the way some of our colleagues in politics have been using it to confuse the people to suit their purpose and that is why we must commend the National Assembly who kept telling us that they need to get clarification and support from their various constituencies on the matter. I spoke with at least nine different senators when the matter came up and individually they told me they needed to talk with their people,” he said.

On the forthcoming local government election in Kwara state, Baraje asked members of the APC to cooperate with the political structure in the state to repeat its winning formula.

He, however, declined questions on his possible governorship ambition, saying it was only the party structure that would make the decision at the right time.

He noted that it would be difficult to stop those agitating for his emergence since such agitation would also eventually assist the system in the state to make the right choice eventually.

On the recent wave of crime, particularly ritual related activities in the state capital, Baraje who lamented the development as a strange occurrence, called on notable leaders and Islamic clerics in the ancient city to rise to the occasion as their progenitors have done in time past, to bring the ugly development to an end and avoid the negative verdict of posterity.

Earlier, the  chairman, Management Board of the school, Justice Soliu Mohammed (rtd), had expressed delight over the progress being recorded at the school which has not only secured accreditation from the  National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies but has also become an examination centre for the board. Eight students who had completed their Thanawiy (SS3) were presented at the occasion which attracted several dignitaries from across the state.