Afenifere, pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation; Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, apex Igbo socio-cultural group, and Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) on Monday hailed the unanimous decision of Southern Governors’ Forum that the South should produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor in 2023 irrespective of the political party.
This is as Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), who also agreed with the Southern governors, said zoning the presidency to the South in 2023 is the only way to avoid Nigeria plunging into crisis.
While there has been no formal announcement from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the zoning formula to adopt for 2023, there are feelers the two parties are trying to throw the ticket open to all aspirants from all parts of the country.
However, the Southern governors, who gave their stand in a six-point communiqué issued after a meeting at Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, unanimously agreed that the next president must come from the South in the spirit of equity and fairness.
The communiqué which was read by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State said, “The Forum reiterates its commitment to the politics of equity, fairness and unanimously agrees that the presidency of Nigeria be rotated between Southern and Northern Nigeria and resolved that the next president of Nigeria should emerge from the Southern region”.
The governors also reiterated their stance on open grazing, disclosing that September 1 had been set aside for the promulgation of the anti-open grazing law in all its member states.
They also resolved that funds deducted from the federation account for the Nigeria Police Trust Fund should be distributed among the states and Federal Government to combat security challenges.
While reiterating their support for state police, the Southern governors said “if for any reason, security institutions need to undertake an operation in any state, the state chief security officer must be duly informed. The forum frowns at selective criminal administration of justice and resolved that arrests should be made within the ambit of the law and fundamental human rights.”
While commending the National Assembly for the progress made in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the governors said they were rejecting the “proposed three percent and support the five percent share of the oil revenue to the host community as recommended by the House of Representatives. The Forum also rejects the proposed 30% share of profit for the exploration of oil and gas in the basins,” as well as the ownership structure of the proposed Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
The governors opposed that the company be vested in the Federal Ministry of Finance but should be held in trust by Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) since all tiers of government have stakes in that vehicle.
Regarding the upcoming elections, the governors also rejected the removal of the electronic transmission of the election result from the Electoral Act; “and also rejected the confirmation of exclusive jurisdiction in pre-election matters on the Federal High Court.”
The Forum said this needs to be done to consolidate democracy and strengthen the electoral process.
While also commending Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for doing a fantastic job, the governors also agreed that Lagos State will be its permanent secretariat.
Other governors, who attended the meeting included Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).
Deputy governors, who represented their principals, included Philip Shaibu (Edo), Placid Njoku (Imo), Ude Oko Chukwu (Abia) and Kelechi Igwe (Ebonyi).
Governors of Cross River and Anambra States, Prof. Ben Ayade and Willie Obiano, were absent.
In its reaction, Afenifere said it was in total support of the resolution of Southern governors on zoning of the 2023 presidency.
Chief Ayo Adebanjo, the national leader of the organisation, told Daily Independent that Afenifere is in one hundred percent support of their resolution.
According to Adebanjo, “Afenifere is in one hundred percent support of their resolution on 2023 presidency.
“They have behaved very well and I don’t expect anything less from them. They should stand firm against tyranny and they shouldn’t be afraid of anything at all. I congratulate them for a job well done”.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo hailed the governors’ decision, but asked that the presidency be conceded to the South East region in 2023.
Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, stated in a phone chat with Daily Independent in Enugu on Monday that the resolution of the Southern Governors’ Forum was apt.
“We welcome the resolution of the Sothern Governors’ Forum but the presidency should be conceded to South East because it’s the turn of Ndigbo to produce the president of Nigeria in 2023.
“We urge the Sothern governors to take steps further and respect equity, justice and fairness by conceding the presidency to South East because it’s only South East that has not occupied the presidency position from the Southern region.
“If we look back to the political history of Nigeria, we will see that South West and South South have occupied the seat of the president, so it’s the turn of South East to become President in 2023”, he said.
He, thereby, called on Nigerians to support the resolution of the Southern governors for peaceful coexistence and development of the nation.
Similarly, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has lauded the Southern Governors’ Forum for its resolution that the next president of the country should emerge from the Southern region in 2023.
PANDEF’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, told Daily Independent that the governors had given voice to the position of the people of the Southern region.
Robinson said the forum was very pleased with the unanimous decision of the governors, supporting the advocacy for the presidency to shift to the region.
He said, “PANDEF and the socio-cultural organisations in the Southern part of the country and even the Middle Belt Forum, Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo had separately and jointly issued statements demanding that the next president of Nigeria must come from Southern Nigeria.
“Now, where the person comes from, be it West, East or South-South, is a different matter but we have been insisting that the next president must come from the Southern part of the country.
“It is now clear that they (the Southern governors) are working in tandem with the hopes, desires and aspirations of the people. We commend them and we are very happy with their resolution.”
Also speaking, Prof. Itse Sagay said zoning the presidency to the South in 2023 is the only way to avoid Nigeria plunging into crisis.
“I agree absolutely with them. That is the only way it has to be in a country like this. When the presidency was in the South during Obasanjo’s regime, it was the same way the North insisted that the next presidency should come from the North. And so, Yar’Adua became president.
“Later, Goodluck Jonathan took it up and Muhammadu Buhari became the president. So, it is the turn of the South and there is no argument about it. The nature of this country is such that if that balance is not maintained, there will be crisis.
“It will mean that there is a ruling class and others are the ruled, particularly in a country that is so tensed as ours now, where there is so much inter-ethnic suspicion, fear of people grabbing power and fear of people wanting to be rulers at the expense of others.
“There is no debate about it, I’m in support of the Southern governors”, he said.
