The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar has revealed that he has already prepared a draft amendment bill for the restructuring of Nigeria was ready and would be introduced to lawmakers on the first day of sitting of the 10th Assembly, in 2023, as an Executive Bill.
The former Vice President stated that although he would not release the document now, Nigerians should be rest assured that sketcy issues around resource control, which continued to be a major talking point in the restructuring sphere, as well as devolution of power and state police were on the card.
The PDP standard-bearer made this revelation when he spoke on a day National Chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, expressed confidence that the party would make history by displacing the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, not only in Lagos State but also in at least 24 other states, in addition to the Presidency in 2023.
Speaking to members of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, NGE, yesterday, at Marriot Hotel, Lagos, the PDP presidential candidate explained that both the amendment bill and his five-point agenda, which he tagged ‘My Covenant With Nigerians’, were products of wide consultations and expert advice.
He pointed out that he had assembled a team of experts with whom he had series of sessions to branstorm on pathways for Nigeria’s return to greatness.
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Abubakar said: ‘In preparing the draft restructuring amendment bill, what I did was to assemble a team of lawyers, who are some of the best in the country.
‘I picked lawyers from each of the six geo-political zones so that each zone would have representation and a sense of belonging in what we were packaging for Nigerians and also to take into account the interests of each component part of the country.
‘What they have come up with, after series of sessions, is a draft bill that is ready as I speak to you. The bill is ready and it would be presented to the National Assembly on the first day of their sitting, after inauguration.
‘Mind you, the process of amending the constitution involves the Executive, the National Assembly and the state Houses of Assembly. So, on the first day of sitting, I will present the bill’.
On the specific areas the bill will cover, the PDP candidate revealed that one of the major issues agitating the minds of Nigerians whenever restructuring was discussed, was the issue of resource control.
‘The bill will cut across all spheres of restructuring, and resource control is accommodated in it,’ he said.
Responding to a question on security, Abubakar said more boots were needed on the ground.