By Godwin Amunde
The Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum, (PGF) – an umbrella body of Nigerian governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) – Dr. Salihu Lukman have challenged the governors of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to engage the leadership of the National Assembly to speed up the processes of constitutional amendment instead of playing politics on a matter that is beyond media campaign.
Dr. Lukman made this known in a statement which was made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
Lukman, who was reacting to the PDP Governors meeting of May 16th, 2021 at Ibadan where, as part of their resolutions, stressed the need for devolution of powers in the country, said the issue is no longer a partisan matter but an issue of national imperative as the Progressive Governors in line with the recommendation contained in the APC Committee on True Federalism have taken a position on the matter and have since communicated it to the leadership of the National Assembly.
The PGF DG therefore urged the PDP to do same if they are to be taken seriously.
The statement read in part: “Following the PDP Governors meeting of May 16, 2021, in Ibadan, there was so much hype about the resolutions contained in the Communiqué. It is significant to emphasise that there is nothing new in the resolutions. Rather, it re-enforces the current national consensus about the need for devolution of powers in the country, otherwise known as restructuring. This is no longer a partisan matter but an issue of national imperative.
“Already, Progressive Governors, in line with recommendations contained in the APC Committee on True Federalism, have taken a position on this matter and have since communicated it to the leadership of the National Assembly. Therefore, instead of playing politics on a matter that is beyond media campaign, PDP Governors should follow the footsteps of Progressive Governors by engaging the leadership of the National Assembly to speed up processes of Constitutional amendment.
“The major outstanding political issues at this point is the inability of opposition parties in the country, including the PDP, to categorically declare their position, especially in terms of issues of implementation. Having mismanaged opportunities to initiate all the recommendations being proposed by the PDP Governors between 1999 and 2015, how can anybody in PDP claimed any moral standing to demand for any executive bill? If the issue is as simple as getting the President to transmit executive bill, what stops all the PDP Presidents from initiating it for sixteen years.
“At this point, it is important to appeal to PDP Governors to again follow the footsteps of Progressive Governors by working to reform the PDP. If PDP Governors want Nigerians to take them seriously it must be based on a very honest disposition of acknowledging challenges faced by all our political parties.
“While welcoming the decisions of the PDP Governors to support the need to devolve powers to states, it is important that they go beyond the cheap politics of reducing it to a campaign against the APC. If PDP Governors are to be taken seriously in terms of their commitment, it must be based on a stronger commitment to reform the PDP!”
