Politics

Restructuring Is To Get Nigeria Working Again, Not For Regionalism, MBF Replies Yakasai

Published

3 years ago

September 9, 2022

Editor

The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, has explained that the clamour for the restructuring of the country was not for the purpose of returning the country back to regionalism but to get the country working again and returned back to the path of sustainable peace and development irrespective of the system of government.

The National President of MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu made the clarification in Makurdi while reacting to the recent comment by Alh. Tanko Yakasai who was quoted as saying that regionalism would not help Nigeria anymore.

Dr. Pogu said, “We had regions before we came to the presidential system of government and the regions operated up till the time the military came just before the civil war, and we knew that Nigeria was working fine.

“We had the groundnut pyramids in the North, the cattle trade and all that. The South West and East were doing fine. At that time we were very young and wouldn’t have understood the workings of government but all we knew was that things were working well.

“We had the Native Authority Police and we had Nigerian Police. In fact you hardly see Nigerian Police. The people you see when there was anything were the Native Authority Police. In the North we called them Dan Doka, the Nigerian Police then were called Dan Sanda.

“And you hardly see the Nigerian Police, it was the Native Authority Police that you see in the villages with his short knicker, his socks rolled up and handy with his small baton. They did a good job, there was no corruption and they went about with their baton and arresting local armed robbers.

“Things were moving fine. We had sanitary inspectors, we had forestry guards, Nigeria was working as a country and our currency was strong.

“Of course we had the issue of traditional rulers playing major roles especially in the North and it worked. That was the regional thing that we came from when the military took over.

“We are not saying we should turn down the wheel of progress by adopting regionalism. But in the presidential system which is the contentious issue, have we adopted the principles of true of federalism in this system we are practicing?

“We are not, we just took some parts that are convenient from the American system and then centralized everything at the top; because the military wanted to be in control of everything.

“Now we are in a civilian regime and we have adopted the same governance patten of the military which was for their own convenience. It will not work because it has never worked. Instead Nigeria is falling apart. We have a president who is so powerful than God knows what. And everything is at the centre.

“You have the Nigerian Police everywhere but people are being killed and you call the police thy would not respond because somebody in Abuja did not give order. The military who are supposed to be hardly seen are doing the work that are meant for police.

“Before the civil war you never saw them anyhow, they were always in their barracks, but now soldiers are everywhere because things are falling apart.

“I am not saying that regionalism is better, but what we are saying is that the restructuring of the system we have will do us better. If that restructuring takes us to true federalism, so be it. If that restructuring keeps us with the same federating units which are the states, with the devolution of power that will ensure that things at the local levels work well, so be it.

“Why are we ask for state police? We copied the American system and in that system there is local police and each one has its jurisdiction. So when the people are attacked and you cannot defend yourself, the local police is the first line of defense.

“So people who do not want such things are the supporters and perpetrators of this evil in the land because they do not want the evil to stop. They do not want the people to defend themselves. They want the people to be killed like rats.

“The answers as far as I am concerned is lets restructure and get things happening in the right way and in the right direction.

“If Nigerians want it to be true regions, so be it. If Nigerians want the structures which we have now using the states as the federating units, so be it. But let there be devolution of powers, let there be true federalism and we will move forward.”

VANGUARD

Related Topics:#Nigeria MBF Restructuring Yakasai

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Politics

Fubara: Mistakes Of 2023 Will Not Be Repeated In 2027 – Wike Vows

Published

16 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Editor

Amid renewed conflict between him and Rivers State governor Sim Fubara, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has vowed that mistakes made in the 2023 elections will not be repeated in 2027.

Wike made the vow while speaking during a visit to Akuku-Toru and Degema Local Government Areas on Tuesday.

He emphasized the importance of acknowledging past errors and taking corrective action.

He stated, “As for Rivers state, let me make it clear what’s important in life is that you make a mistake and come out to tell people, ‘I made a mistake, and therefore I want to correct the mistakes we made.

“The mistake we made in 2023 will not be repeated. Where we voted in the state is not where we will vote again in 2027.”

Tho comes after the minister declared “total support” for President Bola Tinubu, even as tensions brew between him and leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Politics

We Are Not Traitors, PDP Is Dead – Bagos

Published

19 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Editor

Former Federal House of Representatives member, Dachung Bagos, has explained that his recent defection, along with other politicians, is a result of the Peoples Democratic Party’s failures.

Bagos made the remarks on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, shortly after announcing his move from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“We are not jumping parties for political ambition. We are jumping parties because of the platform that wants to give our people a voice, and leadership that says, ‘You can trust us to be able to address this very issue,’’ he said.

His statement comes amid the increased wave of defections from the PDP to both the APC and the African Democratic Congress.

Bagos, who served as the representative for Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency, Plateau State, from 2019 until November 2023, officially joined the APC on January 4, 2026, alongside other key figures loyal to Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang.

This move followed Governor Mutfwang’s own resignation from the PDP and subsequent defection to the APC, citing the opposition party’s ongoing internal crises and the need for clearer direction.

Rejecting suggestions that the defections were motivated by sycophancy, Bagos emphasized principle as the driving factor.

“We are not jumping parties because of sycophancy. We are jumping party because the PDP has failed at this particular moment, and it is irredeemable at this particular moment, so the platform that we see that goes with our own ideology is where we are today,” he said.

Bagos explained that his decision to join the APC was based on the party’s agenda, which he believes aligns with the aspirations of the people of Plateau State.

He underscored that governance goes beyond party lines. “Governance is beyond party lines. It is about those agendas on the table that you can make your people believe and understand that, look, this is the solution,” he said.

He highlighted President Bola Tinubu’s focus on key governance issues such as state police and local government autonomy.

“Our governance has now keyed into the issue of state police,” he said, adding, “If he has re-emphasised the issue of local government autonomy and to ensure that every state has local government elections.”

Bagos also spoke about the importance of creating opportunities for ordinary citizens and engaging young people in politics.

“We want the son of nobody to be a local government chairman, we want the son of a to be this and that, and we want to see the youth that have never believed in politics to believe in politics,” he said.

Politics

Joe Igbokwe Reacts As Wike, APC Secretary Lock Horns Over Fubara

Published

1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Editor

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and social media commentator, Joe Igbokwe, has condemned the verbal war between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the National Secretary of the ruling party, Ajibola Basiru.

DAILY POST reports that following the renewed hostility between Wike and the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, the APC Secretary had expressed support for the governor.

However, during an event in Rivers State on Monday, Wike asked the APC National Secretary to stay away from Rivers politics.

Reacting, Basiru, in a statement, asked Wike to resign his appointment and focus on what he described as an “obsession” with Rivers State politics.

Wading into the matter, Igbokwe, in a post on Facebook, said the face-off is uncalled for and unnecessary.

He said, “The altercations between Hon. Minister FCT, Nyesom Wike, and the National Secretary APC Nigeria, Ajibola Basiru, are totally uncalled for and unnecessary. It is a needless distraction.

“If out of annoyance you remove your cap and throw it away, a made man will pick it up and use it forever. Let the misunderstanding cease to exist now.”