Former VP hails calls for restructuring

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has praised the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and others who have supported recent calls for the restructuring of the country.

In a statement released in Abuja on Tuesday, June 27, 2017, Atiku praised the patriotism of the party's governors for standing behind achieving true federalism in the country.

He said, "The restructuring debate transcends the ambition of any single politician in Nigeria, and that any attempt to ignore the agitations could make a bad situation more complicated."

The former second-in-command to President Olusegun Obasanjo further claimed that recent increased agitations for separation by several ethnic groups can be blamed on ignoring calls for restructuring.

ALSO READ: Former President calls for Nigeria’s restructuring

He said, "The agitations for secession would not have arisen, if the country had shown sincere readiness to address the underlying problems that feed the agitations by separatist forces."

In April, Atiku made renewed calls for Nigeria's restructuring, saying the country will continue to struggle with conflicts of great socioeconomic consequences unless it gets the structures of the federalism and governance right.

He stated this in a paper titled "The Challenge of Unity, Diversity and National Development: Nigeria at a Crossroads" delivered at the formal public presentation of the Daily Stream newspaper, at the Banquet Hall, Nigeria Air force Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja.

ALSO READ: Atiku insists Nigeria must restructure to get governance right

Former military Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida recently lent his voice to calls for the restructuring of the country, arguing "for the devolution of more powers from the federal level to the states."

The topic has dominated political conversations for the past few days.