Buhari says he will accept restructuring as long as it is done within the ambit of the constitution

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has hinted that he may be willing to accept calls for the restructuring of Nigeria so long as any changes are within the dictates of the current constitution.

Since the Buhari administration came to power in 2015, calls for the restructuring of the nation have become deafening, with numerous pan-cultural bodies saying it is the only hope for Nigeria. So far, President Buhari has remained mum on the matter, with the government refusing to engage in the debate but last week, vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo said that the government is not opposed to restructuring in principle.

During Nigeria's First Republic that lasted between 1960 and 1966, the country's federating units controlled all the wealth that accrued within their domains, handing 50% of it to the centre. At the time, the federal government got 20% of such taxes, while 30% went into a central pot, now known as the Sovereign Wealth Fund, with the regions keeping the rest.

Last Thursday, while speaking in Ado Ekiti, Professor Osinbajo said the Buhari administration was in support of any form of restructuring that would benefit Nigerians. It now appears that President Buhari is also tilting towards the idea, although he said he frowned at the way some individuals or groups were carrying on with such calls, saying many had parochial rather than national interests at heart.

Speaking yesterday while receiving a delegation of Urhobo Traditional Rulers, the leadership of the Urhobo Progressive Union and members of the All Progressives Congress from Delta State at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, President Buhari said any changes must be constitutional though. He added that some views being expressed for restructuring the country were uncoordinated, pointing out that such clamours may not also be backed constitutionally.

President Buhari said: “You mentioned something which is being topical these days, the question of restructuring Nigeria but every person or every group asking for restructuring have got their own agenda. I hope it can be accommodated by the constitution we are currently operating.”

On the demand for boundary adjustment between Delta and Edo states as well as the request for a ministerial slot for the Urhobo, the president described their requests as constitutional matter too. He called on leaders in the Niger Delta to continue to cooperate and support the federal government in its efforts to transform the nation and take her to greater heights.