The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has unveiled his strategy to resolve the agitations by separatists including the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) if elected in the 2023 elections.
Atiku, who spoke at The People’s Townhall in Abuja on Sunday, a live event organised by Channels Television and its partners, said the demands of pro-Biafra agitators are not something that can’t be negotiated.
He said his call for restructuring of the country will go a long way in addressing secessionist agitation across the country.
“The IPOB issue in the South-East is basically, as far as my understanding is concerned, about the realisation of Biafra. Is it possible for Biafra to be realised today? How? By negotiations or by going through another civil war, which we can’t afford to?
“I believe we should be able to negotiate with the agitators from the South-East, as far as the issue of Biafra is concerned. We believe what they need is more autonomy as far as their sub-region is concerned.
“That is why we proposed restructuring of the country, by which we mean devolution of more powers and resources. After all, there was Eastern Nigeria in the First Republic and they developed at their own pace and with their own resources,” he said.
Speaking on what he described as middle-of-the-road solutions, the former Vice President said he saw no reason restructuring and devolution of more powers and resources could not quell the various agitations of the separatist groups.
“The agitations are in different perspectives, to my understanding,” he said. “One of them is political and political has the sense of ‘how does the South-East participate in power sharing in the country?’ And we are in a democratic society.
“There is no one single geopolitical zone in this country that on its own can achieve political power without crossing the Niger or being in alliance with other geopolitical zones.
“I think this is what they should begin to think: How do they partner with other parts of the country to secure political power for their own interests or to protect their own interests. I think these are the ways to go as far as agitations by IPOB are concerned.”
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