Region’s double standards possible because South hasn’t put its acts together – Prof

Leaders from the major geo-political regions of the country on Friday engaged in fireworks on the issue of zoning as they took different positions on where the successor to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari should come from. While the leaders from the Southern parts of the country insisted that power should shift to their region, their counparts from the North accused them (Southern and Middlebelt leaders) of engaging in blackmail to capture power.

Those that spoke to Saturday Telegraph on the issue include, National President of the Middle-belt Forum, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, a leader of the Yoruba pan-Socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo. Others include, an elder statesman, Professor Francis Dike as well as the Director, Publicity and Advocacy Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed.

Pogu who accused leaders in the North of gross hypocrisy however vowed to mobilise his members against any political party that picks its presidential candidate from the North. He added that the need to return power to the Southern part of the country would engender equity, justice and fairness.

He noted “We have indicated clearly that we will campaign against any political party that zones it’s president to the North. Af-ter 8 years of northern presidency, it is now the turn of Southern Nigeria. “Fairness and justice should prevail, we will also not be part of the hypocrisy of the North if they insist to continue in Power, but we will stand against that position.”

On his part, Adebanjo who spoke in same vein stated that power should shift specifically to the South Eastern part of the country. “I have stated at different fora that power should not only shift to the South in 2023, but that it should shift to the South East in the spirit of equity and fairness, but that it was better to restructure the country before another election is conducted.” He said. Commenting, Dike has said the North should not be given the latitude to dictate to the rest of regarding where the next president should come from.

Dike maintained that the North is in no position to dictate to the rest of Nigerians on which region should produce the president in 2023 because the North is no longer the North it used to be. According to him, the old monolithic North has been dismantled and that the region is now weakened but unfortunately Southern leaders are unwilling to capitalize on this for political ascendancy. “Like it was said recently, whenever they want to negotiate power they talk about the population of the ‘Hausa-Fulani’ but when they want to share the spoil from the power, they talk about the Fulani nation. “All those things are changing fast because the North is unsettled presently with widespread discontent among the Hausa population. So if the South insists on the presidency, then they should insist on it”, Dike stressed. Reacting on behalf of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), the scribe, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed accused leaders from the South and Middlebelt of “rehashing old method of blackmail threats” against his people. According to him, the call (for power shift) is an attempt to stampede Nigerians into subverting the foundational principles of the democratic process.

“While the real politicians are busy campaigning all over the country out of the knowledge that all Nigerians must participate equally in the selection of candidates and voting for leaders in 2023, leaders of groups from the South are busy rehashing old threats and intimidating tactics in a bid to deny the northerner his right to vie for his party’s ticket and vote for the next President without limitations to his right to choose.” He concluded by saying that “These tired tactics will not scare the North, and will not win the Southern politician the type of support he needs to compete to become Nigeria’s next President.”

(Saturday Telegraph)

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