Why local government autonomy is imperative, says Saraki

Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has reiterated his support for local government autonomy in the country.

Saraki, according to a statement sent by his chief press secretary, Sanni Onogu, in Abuja, stated this during a visit by senior officials of NULGE, led by its national president, Comrade Ibrahim Khalil.

Saraki exchanging pleasantries with NULGE national president, Comrade Ibrahim Khalil, during the visit. Photo credit: SP media office

He said that the Senate and the National Assembly appreciate the importance of autonomous governance at the third tier of government and will continue to work towards its realization.

His words: “Here in the Senate and the National Assembly, we appreciate the importance of governance in the third tier of government - the local government. As such, it is very important that we strengthen local government administration.

“Part of strengthening local government administration is ensuring that there is autonomy. I also believe that strengthening local government administration means that we all do our best to increase the capacity at the local government.

“Sometimes, you find out that in developed countries, people who are competent, to contest at a level even as high as the Senate, would tell you that they don’t want to be at the federal level like Abuja or Washington, they prefer to stay at the local level.”

Saraki told the local government employees that it is also important to see that local governments are properly and independently funded, but added that “there must be a symbiotic relationship between the states and the local governments to ensure that the third tier of government is not placed at a disadvantage.”

According to him, “it is unfortunate that you observed that in the last constitution alteration exercise, we were not successful on this issue. Being a former governor, the Senate leader always reminds me that 'I have seen the light.' But on a serious note, we all have a role to play to strengthen our local government system.

“It is important that we see how local governments can be independent, how local governments can have more autonomy, and governors cannot interfere with what is due to local governments.

“In all of this, there must still be a cordial and symbiotic relationship. If we just say that local governments should just be on their own, it might have some disadvantages.

“We must also look at how we can ensure that local governments have funding of their own without any interference.”

Saraki also noted that following the last constitutional review exercise embarked on by the National Assembly, only nine states were in support of local government autonomy, stating that he would do more to ensure that further cooperation and collaboration is achieved to rectify the issue.

“If we look at the last constitution review exercise, unfortunately, I must say that we have a lot to do. I don’t think that we got up to nine states that were in support of local government autonomy.

“I will ensure that we do more to rectify this issue. I am proud to say that my home state, Kwara, was one of those 9 states that supported local government autonomy.

“It will happen. I assure you, it will happen. We are all in a hurry to see that it happens. The question though, is how soon? I always say that these kinds of things like the Constitutional amendment process, you cannot bully anybody. But you must ensure that there is cooperation and collaboration,” the Senate president said.

Earlier, Comrade Khalil lamented that local government administrations in the country have been rendered impotent over the years as a result of undue interference.

“Our visit is to rekindle efforts and bring all hands on deck to ensure that local governments become autonomous in this country.

“We recognize that the leadership of the National Assembly has a critical role to play in ensuring that local governments become autonomous in this country,” the NULGE president said.

Meanwhile, Saraki has explained why the Nigerian Senate suspended Senator Ovie Omo-Agege for 90 days.

Omo-Agege, an All Progressives Congress member representing Delta Central senatorial district, had openly opposed the red chamber's elections reordering bill and subsequently instituted a case against the Senate in court to avoid being punished for his actions.

Giving his thoughts on the decision of the Senate, Saraki emphasised on the need for serving senators to respect and preserve the integrity of the Senate.

Tension in Mid East as US, UK, France bomb Syria over chemical weapons attack

United States President Donald Trump has announced that he ordered a strike on Syria in response to last weekend’s chemical weapons attack, NAN reports.

 Trump, while addressing the nation on Friday night, April 13, said the joint strike with France and the United Kingdom was currently underway.

“A short time ago, I ordered the United States Armed Forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

“A combined operation with the armed forces of France and the United Kingdom is now underway,” Trump said.

Pentagon, at a press briefing on the strike at 10pm, said the strikes did maximum damages to Assad’s regime’s chemical weapons sites.

Trump said that the “massacre” last weekend in Syria “was a significant escalation in a pattern of chemical weapons use by that very terrible regime.”

“The evil and the despicable attack left mothers and fathers, infants and children thrashing in pain and gasping for air. These are not the actions of a man. They are crimes of a monster instead,” Trump said.

Trump also took a swipe at Russia and Iran, condemning their continued support to Assad’s regime.

“To Iran and to Russia I ask, what kind of a nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women and children?

“The nations of the world can be judged by the friends they keep. No nation can succeed in the long run by promoting rogue states, brutal tyrants, and murderous dictators,” Trump said.

“In 2013, President Vladimir Putin and his government promised the world that they would guarantee the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons.

“Assad’s recent attack and today’s response are the direct result of Russia’s failure to keep that promise.

“Russia must decide if it will continue down this dark path or if it will join with civilised nations as a force for stability and peace.

“Hopefully, someday we’ll get along with Russia and maybe even Iran. But maybe not,” the president stressed.

Trump however added that the U.S. “does not seek an indefinite presence in Syria”.

“We look forward to the day when we can bring our warriors home. We cannot purge the world of evil or act everywhere there is tyranny.

“No amount of American blood or treasure can produce lasting peace and security in the Middle East,”Trump said.

“We pray that God will bring comfort to those suffering in Syria. We pray that God will guide the whole region toward a future of dignity and of peace.

“And we pray that God will continue to watch over and bless the United States of America,” he said.

U.S. Secretary of Defence Gen James Mattis said U.S. and its allies struck harder this time than the 2017 strike against the country which did not seem to deter the Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Gen Joseph Dunford, the joint chief of staff, said the strikes were carried out on three Syrian chemical weapons infrastructures and the U.S. believed it would send al-Assad a strong message.

On Friday, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said analysis done by the U.S., U.K. and France proved the chemical attack.

In a statement Friday night, UK Prime Minister Theresa May called last weekend’s chemical attack “pure horror”.

“The Syrian regime has a history of using chemical weapons against its own people in the most cruel and abhorrent way.

“And a significant body of information including intelligence indicates the Syrian regime is responsible for this latest attack,” May said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the response was “limited to the Syrian regime’s capabilities to produce and use chemical weapons”.

“We cannot tolerate the normalisation of the use of chemical weapons, which is a direct threat to the security of the Syrian people and our collective security,” Macron said.

Perviously reported that Rep Ted Lieu of the United States hit at President Donald Trump after he put blame on former president, Barack Obama, following reports of the chemical attack in Syria.

Lieu took to Twitter on Sunday, April 8, to write: "Dear @realDonaldTrump: Remember when you launched cruise missiles at a largely empty field in Syria? That unconstitutional act didn't do very much. Remember when you said last week that US is leaving Syria in six months? So what is your plan? You're the president now. Remember?"

APC: Making a case for generational shift as party members elect new chairman

As Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), gets set to elect a new set of leaders in June to run its affairs for the next four years, all eyes are on the party’s highest office, the position of national chairman. Already, names of possible contenders for the post are already being bandied around among different interest groups in the party.

Among those who have been mentioned in the race is the current national chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who is eligible to seek another four years in office, the former governor of Edo state Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Cross River state in the Third Republic, Clement Ebri and an ex-minister of petroleum under General Sani Abacha's regime, Don Etiebet.

Timi Frank's interest in the APC chairmanship is seen as a generational shift for the ruling party.

78-years Oyegun, was a former executive governor of Edo State between 1992 and 1993, during the aborted Nigerian Third Republic. He emerged the chairman of the party on June 14, 2014 as a consensus candidate for most of the senior chieftains of the party.

After he led the party to victory in the 2015 presidential election, analysts said Oyegun began to make certain moves that further polarized a party that was already struggling with various interests due to its merger before the elections. Activities in the last few months in the party, shows that Oyegun has lost the confidence of most members of the party and might be shown the way out of the party in June.

On his part, 66-years old Oshiomole, the immediate past governor of Edo state, is seen as a candidate of a certain bloc in the party. Critics say Oshiomole will only do the bidding of his sponsors if he gets the position. The former Edo state governor has also been described as one who hardly accepts criticisms, especially when they directly affect him.

For Ebri, he is seen generally as an unknown figure within the party and its structures nationally. Critics say he does not have the required national spread to appeal to the various political blocs within the ruling party. The question regarding his popularity and visibility nationwide is said to be a major obstacle to his ambition

As for Etiebet, his lack of consistency in terms of party loyalty might be his greatest undoing. He is also not in the thick of things in his home state of Akwa Ibom. Critics say Etiebet cannot be trusted with such a position even though he is said to be a close friend to the president. Many are of the opinion that, the president and other leaders of the party need someone who will tell them the truth to their faces.

One person whose name continues to spring up in this direction is the outgoing deputy national publicity secretary of the party, Comrade Timi Frank. Comrade Frank has been a consistent voice in the party, calling the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari and other national leaders to some of the injustices he had seen even before they became public knowledge. He has also cautioned the party severally on some moves that later backfired and came back to haunt its image.

A young but very experienced politician, Comrade Frank has seen it all in Nigeria’s politics having been a youth leader for the former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for years. His experience in politicking spans almost two decades, and he has the ears of most political leaders spread across the six geo-political zones of the country.

In the last two years, there has been intense clamour from young Nigerians to occupy very senior political positions in the country. Comrade Frank is a perfect representation of this generational shift that young Nigerians seek to take them out of the present political quagmire across the country, that not only affect them presently, but also affects their future.

Comrade Frank’s disposition towards political party supremacy is also key to taking the party to the next level. Over time, political parties’ leaders in the country are not respected, and by extension the party’s rules. The ruling APC needs a leader with the political will to insist on doing things right, especially as the 2019 general elections draws near.

His insistence on standing by the truth at all times no matter whose ox is gored, is also a reminder for the APC delegates that will be part of the fortcoming national convention to key into the aspiration of the Bayelsa-born politician who have been on both sides of the divide and have constant interaction with members of the public. Indeed, politicians of his like are rare in these times.

It is good to note that Comrade Frank acceptability is not limited to young stakeholders of the party, he has been seen also to be acceptable even to the elderly. He has wined and dined with all categories of politicians and will surely harmonise the divided interests in the APC if given the opportunity to lead the party.

Comrade Frank has always stood on the side of the Nigerian people at all times even at the expense of hurting his own party. It is to his credit that the outgoing APC leadership has been kept on their toes to ensure financial transparency in the party affairs, respect for rule of law, discipline of party members, respect for party elders and the need to shun imposition through his constant but constructive criticisms. This is the kind of character the ruling party needs to sail its ship especially as we approach an election year.

Meanwhile, youths under the aegis of Younger Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress have called on Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to constitute a formidable team that will include them to help his reconciliation assignment in the ruling party.

They made the demand during a press briefing on Tuesday, March 13, in Abuja through one of the leaders, Dominic Alancha, on the outcome of their meeting.

Source: Naija.ng

2019: PDP needs a credible candidate - Lawmaker

The only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member in the Lagos state House of Assembly, Mr Dipo Olorunrinu, says the party needs a popular presidential candidate in order to reclaim power in the 2019 general elections.

Olorunrinu spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday, April 14.

He spoke against the backdrop of the recent declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari to seek re-election in 2019.

Expressing optimism that the party would reclaim power in 2019, Olorunrinu said “nothing is impossible in 2019 as long as the PDP presents a popular candidate.

“The party has apologised to Nigerians on whatever it might have done wrong.

“People should reconsider PDP; as the party has learnt how not to fail again.The PDP will take the bull by the horn; looking at the credibility of the candidate it will present.

“We don’t need a candidate that the party will begin to start selling. We need someone who is already selling himself or herself before the party begins to sell him or her.’’

On the increasing number of aspirants eyeing the PDP presidential ticket, the lawmaker said that a candidate with good credentials and credibility would help the party at the polls.

According to him, though everybody has the democratic right to contest the presidential ticket, the party should also consider experience, background, capability and credibility of a would-be candidate.

“We don’t need time wasters to come on board. We need the PDP to be formidable to go against the ruling party at this moment.

“We need to listen to what the people at the grassroots are saying in selecting our candidate. We need to move in the direction people are going,’’ he said.

Olorunrinu urged the party to sell socio-economic recovery and inclusive governance to the people.

The lawmaker advised the party to repackage itself for a good outing in the 2019 general elections.

Meanwhile the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, stated that any candidate the opposition party fields for the 2019 presidential election would defeat President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking in Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Thursday, April 12, the PDP chairman opined that there is no way Nigerians would give their votes to Buhari in 2019; as the present administration had failed to deliver majority of its promises.

Secondus listed economic recession, high rate of unemployment, insecurity, high cost of living, daily job losses, and lopsided anti-corruption war as some of the problems the APC government had foisted on citizens.

Winnie Mandela’s funeral in South Africa

South Africans on Saturday, April 14, stepped out to pay their last tribute to wife of their former president Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. She died on Monday, April 2, at the age of 81.

Winnie who was referred to as the anti-apartheid icon was honored at Orlando stadium in Soweto, South Africa. She was reported dead after in a hospital in Johannesburg after a long illness.

Tens of thousands of mourners came out in loud cheers as the casket carrying Winnie Mandela’s remains was wheeled into the stadium less than two kilometres from her home. The stadium was full.

Photos from Winnie Mandela’s funeral in South Africa.

Her casket was draped with the multi-colored South African flag and placed in the middle of the 37,500-seater stadium in front of a stage, decked in white and yellow flowers. The emotionally charged official funeral began in Soweto, where she lived until her death. She will be buried as a national hero.

The deceased who was fondly called Mama Winnie also fought to keep South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle in the international spotlight while her late husband, Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.

Late Winnie Mandela's corpse at the Orlando stadium In Soweto, South Africa

Also in attendance of Winnie’s funeral was the civil rights leader Jesse Jackson. On Friday, April 13, he disclosed that the deceased was responsible for making the anti-apartheid movement a global struggle.

See more pictures from the funeral below:

Officers leading the vehicle carrying late Winnie Mandela's corpse to the stadium

Late Winnie Mandela’s remains accompanied by officers to the Orlando stadium in South Africa

Photos from Winnie Mandela’s funeral in South Africa

South Africans out are the stadium to pay their last tribute to late Winnie Mandela

South Africa's Civil Rights leader present at the funeral of late Winnie Mandela

Yemi Osinbajo attends emergency ECOWAS meeting in Togo

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has represented Nigeria at an emergency meeting of leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Lome, Togo.

Following his arrival, Osinbajo was received at the airport by Togolese president, Faure Gnassingbe on Saturday, April 14,

Earlier, the vice-president’s spokesperson, Laolu Akande, stated that Osinbajo is expected back in the country later on Saturday, April 14.

Akande also disclosed that the ECOWAS meeting will touch on the developments in Guinea-Bissau and that ECOWAS leaders will receive a report on the situation, deliberate on the presentation and issue a communique at the end of the meeting.

“Osinbajo, who is accompanied to the meeting by Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, is expected back in Abuja later today," the spokesperson said.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on his arrival in Lome, photo credit: The Punch

Osinbajo was received at the airport by Togolese president, Faure Gnassingbe, photo credit: The Punch

Osinbajo is expected back in Nigeria on Saturday, April 14, photo credit: The Punch

The ECOWAS meeting will touch on the developments in Guinea-Bissau, photo credit: The Punch

Meanwhile, Chief Uche Ogar, a former governorship candidate under the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Abia state says that Igbos will benefit more under President Muhammadu Buhari if he emerges in 2019.

Ogar told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Saturday, April 14, that the president had revived some projects abandoned by the immediate past administration in the southeast zone.

According to him, President Buhari’s declaration for presidency in 2019 is good news especially for Igbos.

He urged people of the zone to support the president’s intention and vote for him massively when the time comes.

Voter registration: Osun declares April 16 public holiday

The Osun government has declared Monday next week public holiday to enable the workers in the state to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obawale Adebisi, commissioner for home affairs in a statement on Thursday, April 12, in Osogbo, said the holiday was to provide ample opportunity to eligible voters to participate in the exercise.

Adebisi urged those that had yet to register to use the holiday period to do so, and those that had registered to also use the period to collect their Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC).

According to him, ''Voter registration and collection of PVCs are important and strategic to the electoral process and have capability of strengthening the democratic governance.

''Voter registration helps to facilitate the credibility of the electoral process and democratic governance. That is why government found it imperative to create an ample opportunity by declaring Monday a work-free day, being the last day for the eligible voters to register.

''Thus, government passionately urges the people to go out and register in the remaining days, while those who have lost or defaced their cards can register afresh. The affected ones should guard against registering twice as each person is only allowed to register once.''

Adebisi said since the CRV was periodic, the state government considered it imperative to dedicate a day for fresh potential voters to register to enable them to exercise their franchise during elections.

The commissioner enjoined the residents of the state who had attained 18 years and above to go to the nearest registration centres to them to register.

He said a voter that had relocated to a new place should also approach the INEC office in the new area for transfer of voters’ card to enable him or her to participate in elections there. Newsmen report that the second quarter of the exercise started on April 11 and will end on April 16

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission Mahmood Yakubu said electronic voting will not be used in 2019.

Yakubu said this in Abuja on Wednesday, April 11, at the end opening of a three-day International Conference of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) in West and Southern African countries in Abuja themed “Opportunities and Challenges in the Use of Technology: Experiences from West and Southern Africa”.

The INEC boss, who also doubles as the president of ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC), however, said that electronics would be deployed in the collation and transmission of elections results.

N450m money laundering: You’ve case to answer - Court tells Belgore

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday, April 12 dismissed a no-case submission filed by a senior advocate of Nigeria, Dele Belgore, in response to the money laundering charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. 

Belgore’s co-defendant, Abubakar Sulaiman, a former minister of national planning, also lost a similar application, urging the court to discharge him and let him go.

Justice Rilwan Aikawa, in his ruling, held that the EFCC had succeeded in making a prima facie case against Belgore and Sulaiman, saying they have a case to answer.

The justice said: “I have read all the erudite submission of the respective counsel in support and in opposition to the no case application. I have formed an opinion that the first and second defendant have case to answer. Consequently the no case application is hereby dismissed and defendants should proceed to open their defense.''

The judge ordered them to put in their defence, if they have any, against the allegations levelled against them by the EFCC.

The anti-graft agency had arraigned them on five charges, alleging that they collected N450m cash from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.

They were accused of handling the huge sum without going through any financial institution, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.

Counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that Belgore and Sulaiman acted contrary to sections 1(a), 16(d), 15(2)(d) and 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012. The duo were first arraigned on February 8, 2017.

The EFCC subsequently amended the charges on two occasions, leading to the re-arraignment of the defendants. The defendants pleaded not guilty on each occasion.

After calling two witnesses and tendering a number of exhibits, the EFCC closed its case against the defendants late last year, leaving the floor for them to open their defence.

But in response, Belgore and Sulaiman, through their lawyers, Ebun Shofunde (SAN) and Olatunji Ayanlaja (SAN), filed no-case submissions, contending that the prosecution failed to establish a prima faciecase against them.

It was learnt that the court, however, dismissed the applications calling on them to enter defence.

Meanwhile, a top official of the federal government on Tuesday, April 3, disclosed that Presidency ordered the release of a comprehensive list of those it claims engaged in the massive looting.

The official said Presidency conveyed the directive to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the weekend.

I was tortured to frame Shehu Sani - Kaduna Civilian JTF leader alleges

Garba Isa, a member of the Kaduna Civilian JTF who is in the centre of the murder case controversy against Senator Shehu Sani of one Lawan Maiduna, has alleged that the military forced him to implicate the senator.

According to Isa who made the confession while speaking to journalists in Kano state on Thursday, April 12.

His words: “I was not in Kaduna but received calls that the military are looking for me on an issue so when I went back I was at our office in Kabala Doki when the military came and asked me to come with them.

Senator Shehu Sani exonerated from murder case. Photo credit: Nigerian Senate

“The military told me that they arrested some suspects and I alongside another person we should come in our position as JTF to verified their identity at Badarawa so after an inquiry they allowed the other person to go and asked me to follow them.

"They now took me to Kukwa Ahmed Aruwa Firm, and kept me there I was there when a military captain came and left there after he sent an intelligent officer who now came and told me that I was the one who killed Lawan Bakin Ruwa.

“I told them as a civilian JTF how can I kill anybody, they now started torturing me that I must accept that I’m the one who killed him and Senator Shehu Sani was the one who contracted us to do it.”

Garba Isa added that he spent two weeks with the military but still refused to implicate Senator Shehu Sani adding that “later we were transferred to the Kaduna state CID where I spent almost a month and from where I was taken to prison.”

He said it was at the Kaduna state high court he got his bail but he sustained severe injuries on his right hand.

Senator Sani has reacted to the confession through his Twitter page, saying efforts to tarnish his image won't succeed.

Eealier the Kaduna state police command named Senator Shehu Sani as a person of interest in an ongoing investigation relating to a case of criminal conspiracy and culpable murder.

The police commissioner in the state, Austin Iwar, has asked the senator to appear on April 30 at the command headquarters in Kaduna for questioning over the issue.

Atiku Abubakar calls for restructuring of Nigeria again

Former vice president Atiku Abubakar has restated his calls for the restructuring of the Nigerian federation and the devolution of powers to the lower tiers of government.

He also urged the country’s leaders to follow the letter and spirit of federal character and other affirmative action policies to help manage distributive conflicts until such a time when the country has done enough to enhance production in order to reduce the scarcity that drives the conflicts over distribution.

In his presentation on Wednesday, April 11, in Abuja at a symposium on 'federalism, diversity and nation-building – Tackling the challenges of integration in Nigeria', organised by the institute of governance and social research, Atiku argued that: “if we restructure our federation, make compromises, and govern better, we will have a greater chance of transforming our diversity into a national asset.”

He noted that enduring changes to the country’s structure and redistributive systems can only come about through negotiations and compromises by leaders of the diverse groups and zones, adding that with a spirit of give and take, the capacity to empathise, to walk in the other’s shoes, compromises will be easier.

He said the country’s “unitary federalism” has also been characterised by too much government involvement in economic and other activities.

According to him, the country now has federal roads, schools, and hospitals, in addition to business investments that the federal government embarked upon.

He stated that the country is a diverse, multi-ethnic and multi-religious society with three dominant groups in three geographic regions each with many minority groups.

Atiku noted that none of the three major groups and neither of the two main religions has overall dominance in the country.

Speaking on what should be done, the former vice president stated that: “So, we need to step back, agree on what the centre must do and what can and should be devolved to the lower tiers of government

“We must devolve powers and responsibilities to the federating states. Much of what is currently in the exclusive legislative list need to be moved to the concurrent List. We don’t need federal roads, federal hospitals, and federal schools.

"They should be transferred to the states along with the funds expended on them. At best the federal government may establish regional centres of excellence in medicine and research in each of the geo-political zones, which can act as models for state governments.

"The federal government should hands-off the administration of local governments. States should have the power to create as many local governments as they wish or to not create any. With the devolution of power to state governments, people in each state would know who to hold responsible if their roads are not fixed and if their hospitals have no medi.cation,” he explained.

According to him, the devolution of powers to states must extend to political parties, adding that political parties should not behave in a unitary manner and expect a robust democratic federal system for Nigeria.

“Having the party headquarters in Abuja dictate to state (and even local government) branches even on purely local matters is not healthy for democracy and federalism. Such high-handedness promotes corruption and impedes attention to minority interests and local peculiarities.

"We need to also follow the letter and spirit of such existing mechanisms as federal character and other affirmative action policies to help manage distributive conflicts until such a time when we do enough to enhance production in order to reduce the scarcity that drives our conflicts over distribution

"Inevitably in federal systems, component units will bicker over the distribution of resources, including revenues, location of investments and other opportunities.

Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar, had previously stated that Nigeria could be restructured in six months and identified the issue of resource control as preventing this move.