The Senator who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial district of Kaduna State in the 8th Senate, Senator Shehu Sani, has said for fairness, justice and for the unity of Nigeria, the north must concede power to the southern part of the country come 2023.
The senator who threw his weight behind the South West producing the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria said it will be unfair for a region who had laboured in the past for the emergence of the present government to be schemed out of the rotational agreement.
This is just as he called on President Muhammadu Buhari to caution any northerner eyeing the Presidency, saying that it would amount to ingratitude on the part of the north not to support the South West considering the support from that region which helped in uprooting the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.
It would be recalled that recently Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai was quoted to have said that the informal zonal arrangement should be discontinued, describing it as a barrier to political equality.
According to el-Rufai as quoted, “Even with our success in the 2015 elections, there is room for improvement. Barriers to political equality, such as our seemingly entrenched though informal rule for zoning candidacies according to regions of origin, need to be de-emphasised and ultimately abandoned in favour of an emphasis on qualification, competence and character. The financing of parties, candidates and campaigns remains opaque.
“Many African countries are marked by savage inequalities, and a handful of individuals have the wherewithal to hold the process hostage”.
But Senator Sani in a contrary view while interacting with newsmen in Kaduna yesterday said , it would be unfair for the north after eight years to want to continue to hold to power beyond 2023 on grounds of numerical strength.
“It will be a serious threat to future and peace of the country if the northern region continues to dominate the leadership of the nation because of her numerical strength.
“The President should caution those from the north eyeing that position; power needs to rotate to other regions, the South West worked tirelessly to remove PDP from office and helped to bring Nigeria to where it is today and deserve support from the north come 2023.
“If federal character is applied on appointments and other areas, it should also be applicable in the political space, therefore the North should be fair and magnanimous to all and give all region sense of belonging”.
He therefore called on Nigerians to unite and remain peaceful, avoid seed of discord while holding those in position of leadership accountable.
He lamented that those in position of leadership are losing grip in finding solutions to numerous challenges such as armed banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality bedevilling the region.
“PMB should set up a clear policy and agenda to address the socioeconomic and security problems facing Nigeria and in particular the northern region and should invest in agriculture for a prepared restructured Nigeria,” he said.
Abdulwaheed Olayinka Adubi, Kaduna
