Here’s why I‘ll vote Atiku – Reno Omokri

“Vote for Atiku, because, it goes without saying that Nigeria needs to be restructured. We cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results. That is madness. And I would like to believe we are a nation of overwhelmingly sane people.

The chief ingredient of restructuring is devolution of powers from the Federal Government, down to the states and Local Governments. And in this regard, the best predictor of what any of the candidates would do in the future is their past record.

I admire Bola Tinubu as an individual for what he has achieved in Lagos. But Tinubu lacks the moral authority to talk about devolution of powers. Look at how he has concentrated power to himself in Lagos. Fifteen years after leaving office, he is still a tin god who decides who gets what and when in Lagos. He is the opposite of devolution of powers.

Peter Obi has his strengths, but he also cannot viably promise devolution of powers, because he unconstitutionally refused to hold Local Government elections in Anambra for seven years. In that period of time, he concentrated power in himself and failed to devolve them to Local Governments. He had to be scolded for this lapse in judgment by the Nigerian Governors Forum, via its Peer Review Mechanism, on March 26, 2013.

Of the major candidates, only Waziri Atiku Abubakar’s record in office shows he is a genuine advocate for restructuring. Firstly, because he pushed for devolution of powers as a member of the Abacha Constitution Conference of 1995.

Secondly, while in office as Nigeria’s Vice President, between 1999-2007, Waziri Atiku Abubakar implemented those ideas he had earlier pushed at the Abacha Constitution Conference. As chairman of the National Council on privatisation, he encouraged states to bid for Oil Mineral Licenses, which led to the 2003 award of an oil license to Bayelsa Oil Company Limited, which is wholly owned by the Bayelsa State government.

His efforts, under the direction of then President Obasanjo, led to the inauguration of the National Political Reform Conference of 2005.

It would be recalled that after former President Jonathan inaugurated the 2014 National Conference on March 17, 2014, Bola Tinubu, then the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, attacked the conference, and asked the APC to boycott it, which it did.

So, how can a man who undermined an attempt to restructure Nigeria be expected to fulfil his own promise to restructure her, when he is benefitting from the status quo? If Nigeria is restructured, will Tinubu still be able to maintain his vicelike grip on Lagos?

Lagos had to wait for years to receive an approval from the minister of aviation to build a state owned airport. This is even when both Lagos and the Federal Government are governed by APC administrations. Under an Atiku administration, such bottlenecks will be a thing of the past.

Another name for restructuring is Atiku. Another name for the status quo is Tinubu. Another name for no Local Government election is Peter Obi. If you believe in restructuring, then vote for Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party.

Please join me for another reason to vote Atiku tomorrow, God sparing my life.”