The All Progressives Congress APC Legacy Awareness and Campaign, a voluntary think-tank of the ruling party, says the relationship between the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and state governors is cordial, dismissing speculations of frosty relations between the Federal and State Governments as obtained in the past.
The party’s think-tank disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja and jointly signed by a presidential aide and Youth Representative in the APC’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC, Barr. Ismail Ahmed, former National Publicity Secretary of the party and current Editor-in-Chief of the party’s magazine, “The Progressives”, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, another presidential aide, Mr Tolu Ogunlesi and Director General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum PGF, Mr Salihu Moh. Lukman.
The group noted that the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari has transformed relationship between the centre and sub-national entities, from one marked by constant acrimony and vindictiveness, to one that encourages mutual support and collaboration.
It noted that the old tense relations between Federal and State Governments is now history.
“Nigerians could recall the extent to which the years prior to 2015 were marked by unnecessary and debilitating tensions between national and subnational governments in Nigeria, often on the basis of personal and partisan differences between senior officials.
“Many will recall the following: The withholding of Lagos State funds by the Federal Government, from 2004 onwards, in spite of a Supreme Court Judgement to the contrary.
“The constant impeachments and attempted impeachments, engineered from the highest levels of government, of State Governors considered to be opposed to Federal Government, between 1999 and 2007.
“The splitting of the Nigeria Governors Forum, following the 2013 Chairmanship elections that threw up a winner who was not the favoured candidate of the powers-that-be.
“The suspension of meetings by the National Economic Council (NEC), following unresolved tensions relating to the management of Federation finances.
