Why Obasanjo, Jonathan Failed To Restructure Nigeria – Tambuwal

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has explained why two previous attempts at restructuring Nigeria’s system of government under former president’s Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, failed.

THE WHISTLER recalls that during their tenures in office, Obasanjo had organized what was known as the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) in 2005, while Jonathan in 2014 convened the National Conference (CONFAB), both aimed rejigging the country’s political system.

Obasanjo, while inaugurating the NPRC on February 21, 2005, had said the conference was not designed to, “dismember or disintegrate the country” but that it was rather aimed at, “designing the most appropriate and relevant institutional mechanisms for managing our diversity.”

The NPRC, which had about 398 delegates from different parts of the country, was abruptly disbanded and many believed its failure was because members of the then National Assembly were not carried along.

Jonathan’s 2014 confab, which had about 492 delegates, was concluded but the recommendations it made were never implemented.

Tambuwal, who was Speaker of the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015, said both conferences failed because they never made resolutions that translated into legislation.

The Sokoto governor and chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors’ forum said unless efforts to restructure Nigeria were channeled through the amendments of the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly, it would not succeed.

Tambuwal said this while delivering a speech at the opening plenary of the 26th Nigerian Economic Summit tagged “Building partnerships for resilience” in Abuja on Monday.

The governor’s media adviser, Abubakar Shekara, in a press statement, quoted him as saying the nation must avoid mistakes of the past if it must restructure.

Shakara also said that Governor Tambuwal described current calls for restructuring of the country as a welcome development.

“As it were at the moment, whatever you are going to do about the constitution, has been prescribed by the constitution and how you are going to do it.

“The constitution has prescribed how a word in that constitution is going to be amended.

“Except of course we are saying we are going to jettison the National Assembly and the State Assemblies in getting it done, which is not possible,” said the governor.

Tambuwal said to achieve restructuring, the government must hold public hearings and reach agreements with the 36 State Houses of Assembly, after which bills must be introduced at the National Assembly to the effect.

He stressed that, “…you cannot go outside of the constitution to amend the constitution, we better come to terms with this realisation and agree to come together and agree on how best we can work together to achieve what the nation desires.”

THE WHISTLER reports further that the agitation for restructuring become pronounced again after President Buhari took power in 2015.

The agitations were largely hinged on perceived lop-sided appointments, increasing level of poverty and worsening insecurity in the country.

The calls had prompted the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to constitute a committee on restructuring in 2017, with Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as chairman.

The committee’s report submitted in 2018 had recommended amongst others, referendum on “national or state issues”, state police, fiscal federalism, constitutional amendment, and state court of appeal. The committee’s recommendations have yet to be implemented.