Southern, Middlebelt Leaders Tell Tinubu To Revisit 2014 Confab, APC Reports

Leaders and elders of the South East, South West, South-South and Middle Belt regions yesterday told President Bola Tinubu to take an urgent look at the 2014 National Conference Report, as well as the All Progressives Congress (APC) Report on True Federalism.

The regional leaders, under the aegis of Southern and Middlebelt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), who also charged the federal government to “urgently salvage the Naira, which continues to depreciate daily,” added that “without restructuring, the future of Nigeria and democracy remain bleak and must, therefore, be carried out immediately.”

The meeting which also discussed the outcome of the 2023 general elections, commended the political class, especially the leading Presidential candidates in the 2023 Presidential Election for their recourse to constitutional means in redressing their grievances.

Promising to make a substantial pronouncement on the judgment in the coming days, the leaders said Thursday’s Supreme Court verdict effectively ended the legal processes on the February 25, 2023, presidential polls.

While requesting that the South-East be appropriately represented on the Federal Executive Council, similar to other Geo-Political Zones, they also called for the release of Nnamdi Kanu in accordance with the court order.

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The leaders, who assembled on the regional platforms of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Afenifere, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), and the Middle Belt Forum, respectively, reached these resolutions after a meeting held in Abuja on Thursday.

The communique from the meeting was jointly signed by Chief (Dr.) E.K. Clark – Leader; Chief Ayo Adebanjo – Leader, Afenifere; Chief Dr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide; General Zamani Lekwot rtd. – Chairman, Middle Belt Elders Council, and Former Military Governor, Rivers State; Dr. Pogu Bitrus – President, Middle Belt Forum; Senator Emmanuel Ibok-Essien, FNSE – National Chairman, PANDEF.

The communique read in part: “The meeting discussed exhaustively current developments in the country, and arrived at the following conclusions:

1. That the Federal Government should, as a matter of urgency, and priority, work towards the Restructuring of the country and enthrone True Federalism as was originally entrenched in the 1960 and 1963 constitutions;

“ii. That, without restructuring, the future of Nigeria and democracy remain bleak and must, therefore, be carried out immediately”

They further said President Tinubu takes an urgent look at the 2014 National Conference Report, concluded by 494 of the country’s leaders, as well as the All Progressives Congress (APC) Report on True Federalism.

They resolved to set up a Strategic Committee on Restructuring and expressed readiness to interface with the federal government, the National Assembly and all other stakeholders, on the enunciated issues.

They expressed “great concern and total rejection” of the trend where certain sections of the country are continually marginalised in the number of states, local governments, and even appointments into the Federal Executive Council.