Aminu Tambuwal, The Sokoto state governor and 2023 Presidential aspirant on the Peoples Democratic Party’s platform, has stressed the need for the devolution of power to states and local governments in line with the ethos of federalism.
Governor Tambuwal stated this in Abuja at a consultative meeting with the PDP caucuses of the Senate and House of Representatives on his Presidential aspiration ahead of May28/29 primary election.
Addressing PDP Senators, Tambuwal said, “the centre is overloaded. We really need to go back to the local government and state where the people are and give them more responsibilities and more resources, and that is how we are going to do it.”
Giving reason for convening the party, Tambuwal said, “why I am here is because of what I tried in 2018. And to the glory of God, God made this possible for Atiku Abubakar to emerge as our party’s flag bearer in Port Harcourt. The season is here again and I have the strength and support of several well-meaning leaders and members of our party to try again and see this time around, If I can make it to be the standard flag bearer of our party come our convention in May 28/29, this year.
“The issues are very clear: the issues of 2018 have not left us. They are still very, very valid and very much around us and they have refused to go away. Why? Because of bad governance. Bad governance of the administration at the centre and I believe that in the PDP we have, what it takes to provide solutions as you have often done on the floor of the Senate and in the House of Representatives, providing alternative views.
“I have noted a number of contributions which you have made individually and collectively as a caucus on the way forward for this country, on issues of corruption, insecurity, economy, unemployment and general state of our country.
“Something has to be done as quickly as possible as Nigeria, clearly, is on the brink. And we can only do that through a democratic process.
“The democratic process is for us to have a standard-bearer that can, by the grace of God, marshal all that it takes for us to really have our hands on the deck in solving the various issues.
“It is a job that all of us must contribute to and we must source for and identify those individuals that have the capacity to man and indeed take charge of certain sub-sectors of policy and governance and unless we are able to assemble a marshal of the team, irrespective of wherever someone is coming from, either by his ethnicity, region, state or religion, we may not really get it right.
“I am sure I can convey to you the message that: I believe that in this country and we have the right people.
“What we require is that leadership that can identify those people and charge them with the responsibility of doing and discharging those responsibilities that they are competent enough to handle. It is not rocket science”, he said.
Responding, Senate minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe and his House of Representatives counterpart, Ndudi Elumelu pledged on behalf of their colleagues to do the right thing at the appropriate time.
