May 05, (THEWILL) – A civil society organisation called Concerned Nigeria Citizens (CNC) on Wednesday, staged a protest at the national secretariats of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urging the political parties to zone the presidency to the Southern part of Nigeria for the 2023 elections.
The group’s call was contained in a position paper read out during the protests and submitted to officials of the political parties.
The paper titled, ‘An Appeal/Demand for the Zoning of Your Party’s Presidential Ticket to the Southern Nigeria’ was jointly signed by the group’s convener, Femi Osabinu and secretary general, Alhaji Sidi Ali.
During the protests, members of the group were seen carrying banners and placards with various inscriptions to press home their demands such as ‘2023: Power must shift to the south, PDP, APC please note our concern’, ‘Presidency to the South for one Nigeria’, ‘Save democracy, Zone presidency to southern Nigeria’, ‘We support power shift’, ‘Promote unity shift power to the South’s, ‘Rotation is key to Nigeria’s unity’, among others.
The position paper separately addressed to both national chairmen of APC and PDP, reads in part, “We bring you sincere greetings, from the members and leaders of our organisation and by extension, the good people of the six geopolitical states of our great country, Nigeria.
“Sir, this letter becomes imperative, in the wake of the National questions, that have begun to emerge on the zoning of the Presidential ticket of your party, ahead of the forthcoming 2023 Presidential election, in our country and presentation of zoning committee report expected to be laid today.”
Osabinu said they were seriously concerned as patriotic Nigerians, that days to the presidential primaries of both parties, the parties were yet to intimate Nigerians about their decision in respect of where the presidential ticket will be zoned to.
He said that rotation of power in Nigeria goes beyond the mere aspiration of political parties, but also a tool towards ensuring national unity and stability and in this regard, candidates from the southern Nigeria must be allowed to occupy the position of President come 2023.
According to Osabinu, any consideration outside a southern presidency may destabilise the polity adding that the rotation of power in Nigeria, goes beyond the mere aspiration of political parties, explained that an arrangement is also a tool, for ensuring national unity and stability, insisting that candidates from southern Nigeria, must be allowed to occupy the position of President in the country come for equity sake.
His words: “We are seriously concerned as patriotic Nigerians, that just few days to the Presidential primaries of your party, the party is yet to intimate Nigerians, about its decision, in respect of where it is zoning the Presidential ticket to.
“Recall, that the rotation of power in Nigeria, goes beyond mere aspiration of political parties, but also a tool, towards ensuring national unity and stability, and in this regard, candidates from the southern Nigeria, must be allowed to occupy the position of President in the country come 2023.
“We also wish to remind you, that the established convention is that power must rotate between the North and the South. Hence a President of northern extraction follows that of Southern extraction and vice versa. Any consideration outside of this is foul and may destabilise the polity.
“It is only fair, that after President Muhammadu Buhari, power must come to the south. Any argument against this is inimical to the unity and stability of our nation.
“It is equitable that once the above stands and power is conceded to the south, we will not only be respecting this established convention of power rotation, but we will also be contributing to the dire need, to restore stability and national cohesion, back into our polity.
“It is the turn of the Southern part of the country to produce the next President, and we believe that your party, should have no difficulty in coming out with a categorical declaration, on this very important issue, in the next few days. This must be done without delay.
“The principle of Federal Character is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, as amended. Remember, there won’t be APC if there is no country called Nigeria. Let us put Nigeria first in our resolutions.
“While wishing you the best as we move towards the general election, we wish to restate that nothing other than the rotation of power to the South, shall be acceptable to us, and our people.”
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