Nigeria’s presidency has rubbished calls for restructuring of the country, insisting such calls are coming from enemies of the Nigerian people and amount to threats on the existence of the country.
The latest reaction from the seat of power comes after one of he nation’s respected clerics added his voice to the strident demands for a political restructuring of the country, and warned that failing to do so could lead to a breakup of the nation.
Government’s response came from a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
On Saturday, October 3, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to restructure Nigeria, as a matter of urgency, to prevent a breakup.
The cleric spoke three days after the celebration of Nigeria’s 60th independence anniversary, during which
Shehu said these calls are “recurring threats to the corporate existence of the country.”
“The Presidency responds to the recurring threats to the corporate existence of the country with factions giving specific timelines for the President to do one thing or another or else, in their language, ‘the nation will break up.’
“This is to warn that such unpatriotic outbursts are both unhelpful and unwarranted as this government will not succumb to threats and take any decision out of pressure at a time when the nation’s full attention is needed to deal with the security challenges facing it at a time of the COVID-19 health crisis.
“Repeat: this administration will not take any decision against the interests of 200 million Nigerians, who are the President’s first responsibility under the constitution, out of fear or threats especially in this hour of a health crisis.
“The President as an elected leader under this constitution will continue to work with patriotic Nigerians, through and in line with the parliamentary processes to finding solutions to structural and other impediments to the growth and wellbeing of the nation and its people.”
