The presidency has blamed the growing clamour for the restructuring of the Nigerian federation on those opposed to the Muhammadu Buhari administration, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina made this known at the weekend while speaking on the theme, “Disintegration or Restructuring,” at the 8th Annual Lecture series of a civil society group, The Change We Need Nigeria Initiative, held in Abuja.
Adesina, who said restructuring has always been part of Nigeria’s political and historical evolution, noted that the recent spate of agitations from various quarters was being instigated by the opposition.
“I begin to be suspicious at times that this call for restructuring is another form of opposition politics”, he said.
“You find people who had been in power for 16 years are now the champions of restructuring, so restructuring has become another form of opposition”.
According to him, the federal government was not opposed to the restructuring of the country, but will not allow anything that will lead to its disintegration, as the Buhari administration will do everything possible to ensure that Nigeria remains one united people and nation.
“This government is not antagonistic towards restructuring but the government will not brook any form of restructuring that would destabilise the country.
“Don’t forget that the All Progressives Congress government has set up a committee to aggregate views on what restructuring actually is and that committee is moving around the country. If it did not believe in restructuring, why waste time on it?”
“And the president himself has said there are genuine grievances in different parts of the country, which can be discussed. But it does not mean that the country must disintegrate because of the genuine grievances that we have.”
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