Apparently worried by the body language of northern aspirants towards zoning arrangement for the presidency, leaders of the southern part of the country yesterday implored former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, and others to reconsider contesting the 2023 presidential election.
Leader of the South and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, who made the position of the southern leaders known, said the zoning of the presidency between the northern and southern regions of the country remains the recipe for a united Nigeria.
According to the southern leaders, either by the PDP Constitution or by convention, it is the turn of Southern Nigeria to produce the president of Nigeria in 2023 after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years.
The elder statesman and former federal commissioner for information cautioned that a return of power to the North would invite the kind of chaos that would lead to disintegration of the country.
He said, “I wish to use this medium to advise my most respected Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftains in the persons of former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto State, and other PDP aspirants from the north, in the interest of maintaining the unity of this country to which they have contributed so much, to reconsider their desire of wanting to contest for the presidential election in 2023 because both by the PDP Constitution and by convention, it is now the turn of Southern Nigeria to produce the president of Nigeria, in 2023, after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years.
“To do otherwise is to invite chaos, which will lead to the disintegration of our dear country.”
Clark stated that zoning has been practiced in the nation’s polity even before independence when Tafawa Balewa, in 1954, was the prime minister and Nnamdi Azikiwe was the governor-general.
He added that zoning of political offices, particularly the presidency of the country, is the best antidote to the breakup of Nigeria, and the panacea for peace and unity of the country.
Clark recalled that the 17 governors of the south Nigeria, both of the APC and the PDP, as well as the South and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, had at different times insisted that the presidency should rotate to the South in 2023 in keeping with the tradition of zoning.
He noted: “As I have said earlier, I have observed with dismay that some of my respected friends, especially the former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the distinguished former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who opposed former President Goodluck Jonathan for contesting the Presidential elections because they felt it was the turn of the North, are now wanting to contest for the presidency under the PDP in 2023. They are already campaigning through the length and breadth of the country, even after a northerner will be having a straight 8 years, come May, 2023.
“Is it no longer a negation of the ‘zoning agreement,’ for which former President Goodluck Jonathan was castigated? Is it no longer threatening the unity and survival of the country? The intention of these and others who may follow will be going against the zoning system of the PDP. It may even be the deciding factor for the PDP, whether to be or not to be.
“I would have died about three months ago. I was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a hospital for 23 days, out of which I was unconscious for about two days, before I was restored. I believe the Almighty God still wants me to stay alive to play leading roles in the efforts to make Nigeria a better nation for all of us, Nigerians.”
He further dismissed the issue of allowing Atiku to serve for one term, saying it does not arise because the former VP did not win the presidential election in 2019.
“He is, therefore, not entitled for a second term, which is only meant for a sitting president serving first tenure. As a result, power has to return to the south. Same also applies to my respected former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki,” he stated.
Clark however commended those he called patriotic Nigerians from the North who are advocating for the return of power to the South in 2023.
He listed the patriotic Nigerians from the north to include Governors Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Aminu Masari of Katsina State, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Darius Ishaku of Taraba State; former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, and Alhaji Tanko Yakassai who he described as his life-long friend.
Noting that Yakassai is now 96-year-old, while he Clark) is 94 years, he said both of them “have seen it all in Nigerian politics.”
He further said he was satisfied that both the PDP and the APC have zoned the position of their national chairman to the North, adding that this gives the impression that both parties have decided to zone their presidential tickets to the South.
“It is, therefore, my passionate appeal to my northern compatriots, for the unity and survival of our great nation, to do the needful by allowing the south to produce the next President, after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure. It will be disastrous for anyone to attempt to use force of power, population, religion and ethnicity, to suppress the rights of other Nigerians without regard for Justice, Equity and Fair play,” he said.
Credit: Leadrship