By JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, Abuja

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to act like the politician that he is and address Nigerians on the various challenges including insecurity facing the country.

The National Leader of the body, Chief Edwin Clark, said this at the expanded meeting of SMBLF, in Abuja.

The group observed a minute silence for the former secretary of Afenifere and SMBLF and Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru, the late Chief of Army Staff and 10 others who parishes in a plane crash recently.

He said: “The purpose of this meeting is very clear. Where are we going in Nigeria? Some are asking for secession, others for a breakup, others are running a unitary system of government etc.

“Time is moving fast and there is the need to state our position very clear to Nigerians.

“Mr. President is not an emperor, he is not a king, he is not a monarch, he is a politician. He should come out and meet some of us who where here before even he was an ordinary soldier. This country belongs to all of us, the north alone or the south alone cannot rule this country.”

Clark said presently, Nigeria is running a unitary system of government, insisting it is time to restructure.

According to Clark, the National Assembly spends N2 billion each time for constitutional review, declaring:

“We want a brand new constitution. Any amendment of the constitution, I have no confidence in it. We are here for two things: Nigeria should be restructured. President Buhari once said if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria. I say if we don’t restructure Nigeria will die. Secession is not the answer.

Secondly, we want the zoning to continue. It is constitutional…we want the 2023 presidency zoned to the south,” he declared.

A communique is expected to be issued at the end of the meeting.

Some notable leaders in attendance are leaders of Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo; President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Prof. George Obiozo; Air Commodore Dan Sulieman, Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, Bitrus Pogu, Godknows Igali, among others. (Sunday Sun)

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