APC C’ttee On Restructuring Has No Igbo Representative, MURIC Says
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been accused of excluding the Igbo ethnic group from its restructuring committee.
The APC, it would be recalled on Wednesday 19th July, at its fifth regular joint National Working Committee (NWC), constituted a committee to articulate notions of its party’s leaders on the agitation for Nigeria`s restructuring.
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The party had, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, named members of the committee as Governors of Osun, Rauf Aregbesola; Kano – Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; Plateau - Simon Lalong; Ogun - Ibikunle Amosun; former Governor of Edo State, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, APC National Organising Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso, party spokesman, Abdullahi and Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi as secretary.
But the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has, however, noted that the Igbos were not duly represented in the nine-member committee headed by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State.
MURIC, while expressing worry, described the action by APC as an attempt to “ shave a man’s head in his absence. “
President of the Muslim rights group, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Monday said: “Where are the proponents of restructuring in the committee? They are not there. Can APC shave a man’s head in his absence?
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“Objectivity demands that at least one or two people from the South East where the call for restructuring and self-determination is loudest should be there.
“We can understand if PDP governors from the South East are excluded but at least a state chairman of the APC from the sub-region should have been picked.
“MURIC demands a review of the membership of the committee before its first sitting in the interest of transparency and objectivity.
“We appeal to agitators who feel genuinely aggrieved to pursue the path of dialogue.
“The emergence of the ruling party’s restructuring committee is a strong signal that hope is on the way.
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“Finally, we affirm that although setting up the committee in the first place portrays the ruling party as a listening political body, the recent agitations which created tension in the country calls for cautious, objective and patriotic appraisal,” he said.
