MURIC: el-Rufai-led APC Restructuring Committee lopsided

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described as lopsided the committee put in place by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to study the agitation for restructuring by Nigerians and advice it on what steps to take.
MURIC made its position known in a statement by its Director, Dr. Ishaq Akintola.
The APC had last week named a committee of six to advise it on the issue of restructuring.
The committee was constituted by the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and made public by its National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullhi, on July 19, 2017.
It is to be chaired by the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai.
Other members of the committee are the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; the Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong; Governor of Ogun State; Ibikunle Amosun; former Governor of Edo State, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor; the party’s National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso; Abdullahi; and Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi.
But MURIC described the appointment as lopsided for excluding the proponents of restructuring itself.
The statement by the organization said: “The Muslim Rights Concern is greatly dissatisfied with the membership of this very important committee.
“Our disappointment stems from the exclusiveness of the list. Where are the proponents of restructuring in the committee? They are not there. Can APC shave a man’s head in his absence? Objectivity demands that at least one or two people from the South-East where the call for restructuring and self-determination is loudest should be there. We can understand if PDP governors from the South-East are excluded but at least a state chairman of the APC from the sub-region should have been picked.
“MURIC demands a review of the membership of the committee before its first sitting in the interest of transparency and objectivity. We appeal to agitators who feel genuinely aggrieved to pursue the path of dialogue. The emergence of the ruling party’s restructuring committee is a strong signal that hope is on the way.
“Finally, we affirm that although setting up the committee in the first place portrays the ruling party as a listening political body, the recent agitations which created tension in the country calls for cautious, objective and patriotic appraisal.”