On Restructuring We Stand, PDP Replies APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed a statement credited to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that the former has never been an advocate of restructuring.
In a statement by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the party stated its commitment to a restructured Nigeria, adding that the sudden interest being shown on the term by the APC was contradictory to the stand of its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and other party chieftains.
“We have read the statement credited to the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Bolaji Ojo-Abdullahi in which he said that our party – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – has never been and is not interested in restructuring with amusement.
“This sudden resurrection of the ruling party’s interest in ‘restructuring’ after several months of denial by the Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun, Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, some governors elected on the platform of the party and other senior party officials that the APC did not promise restructuring in its manifesto and during the campaigns in 2015 is the latest in a series of deceitful ploys designed and being implemented by the party to hoodwink Nigerians ahead of the 2019 general elections.
“As the word implies, restructuring is a process of re-arrangement, re-organization or re-formation of the manner or way in which something (in this case governance) is done. As used in the Nigeria political lexicon, restructuring refers to the modification of the system of governance to guarantee the socio-economic and political growth and development of the Nigerian people,” the statement reads in part.
It also added that the PDP would not stand against any system capable of putting the country on the path of development and prosperity.
“It is imperative to inform Nigerians that our party is not against the restructuring of the system of governance in the country in a manner that places Nigeria firmly on the path of growth, development and prosperity.
“Indeed, our party’s commitment to constantly seeking solutions to the challenges confronting the nation caused us to amend our party’s constitution to include the equitable devolution (decentralization) of power for greater functionality, national integration and rapid economic and social reconstruction, amongst other things. Examples can be found in Preamble 2(b) and (e), Section 7(b) and (f), and many more provisions of our party constitution.
“It is against the backdrop of our party’s commitment to restructuring the system of socio-political governance in Nigeria for better functionality and efficiency that the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan summoned a national conference to recommend amendments to the Nigerian Constitution. This conference submitted a report with several proposed amendments to the Constitution which the APC-led Federal Government has refused to implement more than 2 years later,” it added.
It also stated that of all the political parties in the country, the APC was the only one that failed to attend and participate in the 2014 national conference.
“It is imperative to point out that APC was the only political party which refused to attend the national conference in 2014. It is also imperative to point out that APC’s refusal to participate at the conference was predicated on a narrow and selfish interest.