Following the statement credited to the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdulahhi Adamu, that the party is yet to zone the presidency, the President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Hon. Jonathan Asake, has called on the main political parties to zone their presidency to the south.

This was as he also said the north is not ready for another northern President in 2023.

Also reacting to the statement, the Arewa Consultative Forum, (ACF) through its Secretary General, Murtala Aliyu, said the apex northern body does not comment on issues bordering on partisanship, saying that is the exclusive preserve of political parties.

But According to Asake: “It is most unfortunate that we find ourselves in this pitiable situation at this very period of our democracy and in the history of our country.”

He said the zoning arrangement between the North and the South and among the diversities of the country has been largely responsible for “the stability we have had.

“To ensure justice and equity, we have had this arrangement for long. Now, if after eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari, a Northerner and a Fulani person the president still comes to the north, I don’t think the country is ready for that.

“So, if the Chairman of the APC is saying that they have not zoned, having zoned it, it means that it is an afterthought for the party and it means that the people that wants to take this country backward are the ones that are still thinking like this because they have found a man that believed in that.

“ So it will be most unfortunate.” He, however, said the Middle belt and Southern Zone are “warning that any party that fields another northerner this time around for the presidency, we will mobilize against that party. If the two main political parties field northerners, we will mobilize against them.

“The entire middle belt, the south east and the south-south and South West that is coming together on this, we will mobilize against any party that does that.

“Nigerians should be bold to vote against any party that will not ensure justice and equity, do the right thing for the stability and progress of this country. I also advise the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to do the needful and zone the presidency to the south. Let there be peace, let there be order.”

On their part, the ACF said “We do not comment on partisan issues. Our stand is that we are not looking for a president from anywhere; we are looking for a president who is a Nigerian and who will solve Nigerian problem.

“But how they go about doing that is the business of the political parties, if the parties think that by zoning they can win the election, which is fine for them. If they think by not zoning is also fine for them.”

Mallam Aliyu said “Zoning is purely an issue for political parties but what we said before is that whoever becomes the candidate of the political parties either from the south or the north, ACF will engage the person on what plans he has in resolving issues for the north and the country. “But we don’t want to get involved whether they should zone or not, we leave that to the political parties.” (New Telegraph)

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