2019: I Have Endorsed ‘Team Restructuring’ -Bakare
The Presiding Pastor of The Latter Rain Assembly (The LRA) and Convener, Save Nigeria Group (SNG) on Sunday said he has pitched his tent with the presidential candidate committed to the restructuring of the country.
Though the popular cleric who revealed this in his state of the Nation broadcast held in his church auditorium located in Ogba, Ikeja area of Lagos State did not mention any particular party , he said can never support any candidate not committed to the restructuring of the country.
He said,” Fellow Nigerians, I understand that many are wondering if I am endorsing any candidate. I understand that there are those listening carefully to decipher where I stand. Ladies and gentlemen, I have never minced words as to where I stand. In my address to the nation on Sunday, October 7, 2018 titled “The Road to 2019: Quo Vadis Nigeria?,”
‘’ I charged you to choose nationhood. I said to you on that occasion: A choice for nationhood has nothing to do…with any political party or the political interest of any of the candidates. To choose nationhood is to put the interest of Nigeria at the heart of our actions and decisions in 2019 and beyond.
“Fellow Nigerians, what we need is a political family, a team of patriotic Nigerians committed to one agenda, the restructuring of a united Nigeria, so that we can begin to build the Nigeria of our dreams. In that same speech, I laid out the pathway to achieving this in the “Sixteen Pragmatic Steps towards Restructuring Nigeria.
” I maintain that it is a roadmap that will lead us to our promised land. If ours is a country that works, if ours is a country with transformational leaders ready to deploy their strengths and staff their weaknesses, if ours is a country that values capacity, competence and character, what we should be doing is creating platforms to harness the diverse strengths at our disposal, to begin to build a well- structured, well-governed and well-integrated Nigeria.
‘’It is in this regard that I look forward to a Presidential Commission on National Reconciliation, Reintegration and Restructuring, a team of incorruptible Nigerians of unquestionable integrity and bridge- building antecedents, endowed with wisdom and judgement, driven by unshaken faith in the essence and possibilities of the Nigerian nation, who can work with the presidency and the National and State Assemblies towards restructuring a united Nigeria.”
The clergyman said he is convinced that, beyond the elections, the future of the country and its greatness lie in the ability of the presidency,’’ to facilitate the emergence of this team that I call ‘Team Restructuring.’ ‘’For those who care to know, I belong to “Team Restructuring.” Convening such a team has been the nature of my contributions to our nation in the past decade. It was why, in 2009, I brought together a company of nobles, for what we then called “The Dialogue of the Nobles,” to begin to shape the future of our nation; it was why, in 2010, propelled by a God-given vision.
‘’ I was privileged to convene a coalition of nation builders that became the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), a group that rose to the occasion at critical junctures and jolted this nation back to its senses; it was why, in 2010, my wife and I hosted in our home the likes of Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Jimi Lawal, Donald Duke, Nuhu Ribadu, my dear friend Fola Adeola, Jimi Agbaje, Hon. Wale Oshun, and Yinka Odumakin, arrowheads we sought to position to begin to reshape Nigeria; it was why, after much hesitation, I accepted to be running mate to then General Muhammadu Buhari in the 2011 elections as we ran on the promise of a restructured Nigeria.
‘’The number one item in the CPC manifesto; it was why I accepted to be a delegate to the 2014 National Conference convened by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, a conference at which we, by God’s grace, sponsored the “Nigerian Charter for National Reconciliation and Integration80” that was unanimously adopted by the 492 delegates from across the nation.
“Fellow Nigerians, beyond the elections, this is what our nation needs: a uniting force that can rally our diverse strengths around a common narrative, towards a common objective, to achieve a common vision – The Nigeria of Our Dreams – and through a common strategy – the Sixteen Pragmatic Steps Towards Restructuring Nigeria. After all is said and done, may Nigeria win, no matter who wins or loses in this year’s elections.’’
He urged the candidates to know that after the elections, they have a nation to build together, saying’’ I am reminded of the words of Anwar al-Sadat: “There can be hope only for a society which acts as one big family, not as many separate ones.
‘’ With our zero-sum game and winner-take-all-politics, we could be losing the ideas, the brilliance, the institutional memory, and all the strengths required to build a nation. But when, beyond the elections, the Buharis, the Atikus, the Moghalus, the Ezekwesilis, the Durotoyes, the Sowores and the like come together to minimise our weaknesses and maximise our strengths, as one political family, with one agenda – nationhood – we can shape a new nation beyond 2019. That is what Team Restructuring is all about and that is the climax of my message on this platform in this final state of the nation broadcast.’’
