Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Bola Tinubu has expressed commitment to deepening Nigeria’s federal structure in a way that would see sub-national entities assuming more responsibilities.
Also, President Muhammadu Buhari pledged to be at the forefront of electing the former Lagos State governor as his successor.
He said electing Tinubu would consolidate the achievements of his administration as the presidential candidate has the capacity, visionary leadership and track record to do more.
According to him ”It would be disastrous to allow a situation that will lead to the reversal of the progress our country has made. Let me add that I joyfully accept the position of the chairman of the campaign council we are unveiling today.
”Our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is too well known for his capacity and can-do spirit. He stands tall in his track records as a democrat, a champion of the rule of law, a man at home in every part of our country, and a truly visionary leader. All you need to do is think of Lagos in 1999 and 2022!
”I, therefore, want to assure all party members and supporters of our government that I will be at the forefront of this campaign.”
In his 80-page manifesto unveiled on Friday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu noted that since inception, too much power and resources have been lodged at the federal level.
“This has come at the expense of state and local governance. This is problematic because state governments are closer to the people and must be more responsive to local needs and aspirations.
“A Tinubu administration will re-balance the responsibilities and authorities of the different tiers of government. We will collaborate with the National Assembly and State Governments to amend our national governance architecture such that States are afforded the autonomy and resources needed to better serve the people”, he stated.
Tinubu added that his administration would review the constitutional legislative lists to ensure that States are given greater control over certain critical matters.
He said focus areas will include crime prevention, prisons, stamp duties and certain forms of taxation.
On resource allocation, the APC standard bearer said he would embark on a review of the federation revenue allocation system to recalibrate the division of funds among the three tiers of Government.
“More funds should be allocated to the States and Local Governments so that they can better address local concerns and fulfill their expanded constitutional obligations to the people”, he stated.