Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has promised to restructure Nigeria if elected president in 2023.
Chairman, Technical Committee for the actualisation of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku’s 2023 presidential ambition, Chief Raymond Dokpesi stated this on Thursday, in Abakaliki, while addressing members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The founder of African Independent Television (AIT) said that proper restructuring would guarantee enduring peace and development of the country.
The media mogul, who took members of the committee on a consultation visit to the state, noted that Nigeria was at a political crossroads and that proper restructuring was the only panacea to the country’s political, social and economic woes.
He said that the current agitation by youths in the South-East, under the platform of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other security challenges, would be laid to rest once the country was properly restructured.
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“The exclusion of the South-East in key political appointments and perceived marginalisation of the zone by the present administration had led to protests by youths, under the umbrella of IPOB.
“IPOB’s struggle is to ensure that the people of the South-East remain relevant and I, therefore, support the struggle of IPOB.
“What IPOB is asking is for the proper restructuring of the country; a proper balancing of the country; my best friends are from the zone and none of them has asked for a separate country.
“There is no part of the country you will go to that you will not find an Igbo man, no where. In the most remote towns and villages in Nigeria, you will find Igbos there.
“There can be no other demonstration of unity that can be found outside this, hence the need to restructure the country to enhance justice and equity,” Dokpesi said.
He noted that the Constitutional Review Conference of 2014 organised by former President Goodluck Jonathan came up with far reaching recommendations that would have addressed the country’s problems.
“The 2014 Constitution Review which I was privileged to be a member, made over 600 recommendations aimed at repositioning the country, but unfortunately, the APC government could not implement the recommendations.
“But, Atiku has promised to continue from where Jonathan stopped to restructure the country and nobody, no presidential aspirant has made such promise,” he added.
He called on the party faithful to support the presidential ambition of the ‘Waziri’ Adamawa to emerge PDP presidential flagbearer in the 2023 election, adding that the former Vice President was the most qualified among all other aspirants.
Chief Tochukwu Okorie, PDP state chairman, commended the team for the visit and assured that the party in the state was open to receive aspirants from across the country willing to consult members of the party in Ebonyi.
He said that the party was the only political party that had all it required to rescue Nigeria and reposition its economy.
“The solution that Nigeria needs today is located in PDP and our party parades most of the eminently qualified persons to contest the 2023 presidential race.
“We are in this together. The Nigeria project is Ebonyi project and PDP would work to achieve the best for Nigeria,” Okorie said.