Governor Nasir El-Rufai at Chatham House

APC Committee on True Federalism:
In response to these developments and due to the need to clearly articulate our roadmap for political and constitutional reform, the APC set up a Committee on True Federalism to help to give structure to the debate, remove the bile and bitterness colouring the matter and transform the discourse into a nation-building event.

Our party is particularly keen to hear the voices of young people that account for over 80 percent of our population, not just the eloquent assertions of the old politicians like me who are above the age of 50.

The APC Committee on True Federalism, which I chair, has the following Terms of Reference:
1. Examine the Party constitution, manifesto and other publications to ascertain the true intent and definition of the national structure promised by the Party during the Presidential campaign.

2. Review all various ideas being promoted in the current public debate on national restructuring
3. Take a studied look at the report of the various national conferences and in particular that of 2014, its recommendations to identify areas of concurrence with the Party’s promise in (1) above.

4. Liaise with APC caucus in the National Assembly to deliberate and recommend a legislative strategy for addressing the demand for political restructuring and how to use the report of National Conference in the best interest of the country.

5. Arising from (1-4) above, propose appropriate mechanism for implementing the Party position within the confines of current constitutional arrangement without prejudice to the continued unity and shared prosperity of the nation.

6. Make any other recommendation which in the opinion of the committee advances the unity national integration and collective wellbeing of the country.

The Committee began by focusing its preliminary research and preparatory work in the following four broad areas:

• Balance in the federation – Devolution of powers to sub-nationals;
• Review of revenue allocation formula;
• Citizenship matters including federal character, and
• Review of key recommendations of the 2005 and 2014 national conferences.

The preponderance of opinion is that the Federal Government needs to shed weight, and return powers and resources to the states where most government functions can be more efficiently undertaken. For the states to take on these powers, they need to access a greater share of the nation’s resources. And we need to sort out the notion of citizenship so that every Nigerian can enjoy the protection of the Constitution wherever they choose to reside. In many communities, people still use the notion of ‘indigene-ship’ to consign compatriots to a position of ‘settler’ and, by implication, perpetual exclusion from enjoying the full political, social and economic opportunities guaranteed by the Constitution to every citizen.

Key Issues for Debate:
After a careful review of history, literature and reports on the four broad areas identified above, the APC Committee on True Federalism has reduced the subject matter into the following twelve contentious issues that have consistently featured in virtually all previous debates on the issues around restructuring by whatever name or phrase:

1) Creation or merger of states and the framework and guidelines for achieving that;
2) Derivation principle, bordering on what percentage of federal collectible revenues from mining should be given back to the sub-nationals from which the commodities are extracted;
3) Devolution of powers: what items on the exclusive legislative list should be transferred to the recurrent list, especially state and community police, prisons, etc.;

4) Federating Units: Should Nigeria be based on regions or zones or retain the 36-state structure?
5) Fiscal federalism and revenue allocation;
6) Form of government – (parliamentary or presidential?);
7) Independent candidacy;
8) Land tenure system;
9) Local government autonomy;
10) Power sharing and rotation of political offices;
11) Resource control; and
12) Type of legislature – part-time or full-time, unicameral or bicameral?

We have since published calls for memoranda, created various social media platforms to tap into the opinions of the younger generation, and commenced public hearings in 12 locations across Nigeria. The final public hearing will take place in the nation’s capital Abuja, targeting National Assembly members and the general public living within the federal capital territory.

The Secretary of our Committee, Senator Bunmi Adetunmbi articulated our position very clearly recently:

“The APC recognizes that the work of nation-building is an ongoing process in which every stakeholder has a role to play, by making his own contribution. In this case, the APC as a national political party is an institution and a stakeholder that has a role to play in making its own contribution. This exercise is our own way of making that contribution.

The APC leadership felt that it is not necessary to think alone among ourselves, but to also ask members of the public what they think. That is why everything this Committee is doing is not about its own opinion, but harvesting the opinion of the ordinary people in order to form an opinion. After all, no political party exists just by itself, but by the mandate of people.

In this regard, we have put up an announcement calling on members of the public to submit memoranda and meet us at designated venues of the public hearings without any discrimination. So, it is an open invitation to all Nigerians to attend and make their views and voices to count.”

With this multi-pronged approach, we are confident we will feel the pulse of ordinary Nigerians and submit a credible report that will guide the leaders of our party, and governments. With this open-minded approach to the question of restructuring, I have no doubt that we will credibly fulfil our terms of reference.

Some Concluding Thoughts:
As I have argued since 2012, there is no doubt that the Nigerian federation is unbalanced and in dire need of structural rebalancing. This I think we all agree as Nigerians, but the devil is in the details. While some advocates of wholesale abandonment of the existing political structure are probably unrealistic in their expectations, I believe most Nigerians appreciate and cherish our unity in diversity but seek the enthronement of a fairer, meritocratic system that puts social justice above everything else. It is not very hard to achieve this.

Under the current constitutional order, such a system can be achieved peacefully either (i) gradually as shown by the Buhari administration’s devolution of responsibilities and increasing involvement of sub-nationals in national economic policymaking or (ii) more rapidly through constitutional and legislative actions of the National and State Assemblies well before the 2019 general elections. Both options are already being pursued albeit in a haphazard manner, hence the need for our Committee.

Our expectation as a governing party (and government in office) is that the voice of Nigerians – particularly young people – ought to set the agenda for what is desirable in creating a country where there are equal opportunities for all, and where peace and justice reign. The insistent din of the vocal political minority should not drown the new voices of the majority, many of whom are young and apolitical.

Our Committee hopes our approach will enable our party to attain the goal of getting to the very heart and soul of the restructuring debate through the lens of the ordinary Nigerian. There is an opportunity for Nigerians to advance, discuss and refine ideas for adjusting the Exclusive List, Minerals and Mining Rights, the local government system, choice of National VAT versus Sub-National Sales Taxes, Population Census and re-Demarcation of Federal and State Constituencies based on the 2006 Census – all matters that are long overdue for deep reflection and reform.

This nation-building exercise could also encourage consensus for introducing State Constitutions, State Police, Appeal and Supreme Courts, creation or merger of states, reviewed tax powers, and reinforcing state government control over land by vesting mineral rights in the states, subject to federal royalties, export duties and taxes.

We intend to submit our Committee’s report to the Party by the end of October 2017 by God’s Grace.

I thank you for the opportunity. Thanks for listening and God Bless.

• Remarks by Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, at Chatham House, London; Thursday, 21st September 2017