2015: Senator Alhassan faults clamor for zoning in Taraba

Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan, representing Taraba North Senatorial District has faulted the call for zoning of governorship position to the Southern part of the state come 2015.

Aisha, who said this at a press conference in Jalingo yesterday, described the idea of zoning as advocated in some quarters in the state as ‘unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect’.

The senator who was apparently reacting to the call by the people of Southern Taraba that the governorship position be zoned to them come 2015, opined that election of candidates should be on the basis of merit and not zoning as being advocated.

“There is nothing like zoning in the Nigerian constitution and also in Taraba state.Yes the first civilian governor, Rev. Jolly Nyame is from northern zone but people from all the zones contested against him; Governor Danbaba Suntai is from Central zone but people from all the Zones contested against him as well. All I know is that I am from Taraba and very qualified to contest governorship of the state if the people found me worthy then I will be elected,” she said.

She said there was no time people of the state sat down and agreed on any zoning arrangement saying, “My take is that zoning is unconstitutional and the grand norm of this country is the constitution; there was never a time that there was an agreement about zoning in Taraba state”.

She said the idea of zoning in the state cannot hold water as people from the Central and Northern zones are equally clamouring for the position, adding that interested people should contest while the electorates make their choices accordingly.