NASS members ready to push APC’S true federalism report as private member bills, says El Rufai

Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State on Tuesday at the ongoing 26th Nigerian Economic Summit said contrary to public perceptions that the ruling All Progressive Congress is not ready to push up a policy from its campaign manifesto on True federalism, some members of the National Assembly had indicated support to convert the report to a piece of legislation.

El Rufai who spoke at a panel session with the theme, ‘Rethinking Sub-national Competiveness’ said several members of the National Assembly had already approached him personally on the report and had indicated their support to explore the opportunities in the current constitutional amendment in the National Assembly and push some of the reports as private-member bills.

“Our party appointed committee to look into this issue in 2017,and said this is a campaign promise,how do we convert this to policy and a piece of legislation.we made broad recommendations.the National Assembly had an ad hoc committee on constitutional review and we encourage them to pick the report in piecemeal and push a legislation on it.some had approached me already on that.”

The governor an influential member of the ruling All Progressive Congress,and a close ally of President Muhammadu Buhari also explained at the panel that President supported the report of the party on True Federalism when it was presented to him in 2018,adding that action was put on hold on the report by former APC chairman John Oyegun due to proximity to 2019 elections and fears of being politicised.

The governor who raised several concerns with the Nigerian federating system said the federal Republic is only federal in name,pointing out that promotes overstretched and inefficient centre.