Adamawa state politician and businessman, Richard Daniel, in an interview he granted to Blueprint, said that former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, wants Nigeria restructured so that he can become president.
He said: "All the persons that are calling for restructuring are saying so for personal gains.
"For instance, Atiku Abubakar wants Nigeria restructured so that he can become president, because, overtime he has been in the system and they fought restructuring in the past. They had said: ‘One Nigeria is one Nigeria and we can’t go through cutting this and that.’
"He has run for president a couple of times but he didn’t win; maybe he is now looking at restructuring to fit his purpose. The only reason why Atiku is in this business is clearly just to suit his purpose.
"And if you look at all the proponents of restructuring, I can tell you that they have their own personal motive embedded in it; whether they are Yorubas, Igbos, Hausas or minorities.
"Why did the local government system collapse, why are states crying out that they can’t pay salaries, what was the objective of splitting in the first place?
On devolve powers from the central government to the federating units:
"I’m saying that it will still fall into the hands of the so-called leaders that have failed us. It will still be the chieftains that have pocketed the local governments that will benefit from it; with their wives, cousins and children as chairpersons and councilors. What will you achieve?
On the way forward:
"We really need to sit down and agree like what just happened in Britain. They discussed it, whether UK’s relationship with the European Union was beneficial to the English people. Some said ‘yes’ while others said ‘no’. They carried out a referendum, and have decided where they want to be; now they have left the EU. That is how the society moves forward. But, you cannot sit in Aso Rock or Yola and say you want to do restructuring, base on what?
"The discussion on restructuring must be done openly in marketplaces, with ordinary people. If we only talk about it here in Abuja, how would the people in my village get to know and decide on it? Why don’t we go to Wuse Market (FCT) and do the discussion? This is why we are going wrong all the time.
