A former member of the House of Representatives, from 2011 to 2019, who represented Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi State under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Hon Karimi Sunday, at the weekend declared that it would still be the turn of the North to produce the nation’s President come 2023 and not the South as currently being canvassed in some quarters.
The former Federal lawmaker who is now a Chieftain of the ruling, All Progressives Congress, APC, made the declaration in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday.
He said, “In the interest of equity and natural justice, North will still produce the nation’s President come 2023, why? Since 1999, the rotation started from the South and ended in the North. It must start from where it ended, as it is the normal practice for a rotational agreement anywhere in the world
“Also between 1999 and 2023, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo from the South-West ruled for eight years and handed over to Alhaji Umaru Shehu Musa Yar’adua, who ruled for two years and died.
“ His Deputy, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan took over where he stopped and ruled for six years and handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari, who will complete his eight years in 2023 Isha Allah.
“Since the South has had a combined 14 years while the North will complete 10 years in 2023, for the sake of equity, the next President should come from another geo-political zone in the North, preferably the North Central.”
He then urged well meaning Nigerians especially the political class to key into the smooth arrangement on ground and not to overheat the system with unnecessary controversy as to which of the part of the country should produce the next president.
According to him, ” It is a logical arrangement which the political class should embrace and allow to grow to greater heights which other developing countries of the world can emulate, I see no reason for such an agitation for now, let the registered political parties go ahead and pick their candidates for the election and leave the rest for Nigerians to choose, voters will be the ones to decide, we don’t need to overheat the system for now”.
The 17 governors under the aegis of Southern Governors’ Forum had met in Lagos two weeks ago and resolved that Nigeria’s next president must come from the South.
In a communiqué read by the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu who is the Chairman, the Forum said it was committed to politics of fairness and equity, hence its position on the matter.