Power Shift After Buhari Fraudulent, Says Junaid Mohammed

• Why North Must Cede Power To The South In 2023, By Tijjani

ELDER statesman, Dr. Junaid Muhammad, has again faulted those pushing for the return of the exalted seat of the Presidency to the southern part of the country after the second term tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. In an exclusive interview with The Guardian in Abuja, Muhammad described the idea behind the power shift agitation as fraudulent. But a former presidential aspirant of the opposition Labour Party (LP), Isa Tijjani, warned against violation of the rotation of power principle between the northern and southern part of the country. Tijjani, in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, said it behooves on him to turn a blind eye on those pushing for the retention of power in the North after the end of his tenure in 2023. Mohammed, who was Second Republic minority leader in the House of Representatives, argued that it is untrue that the power shift principle has engendered unity and the spirit of nationalism among Nigerians since 1999. He stated: “From the time I was a member of parliament, I never believed in this whole issue of power shift. I have never believed in zoning or rotation and I still don’t believe in it whatever the consequence to whichever part of the country. I don’t believe in it. I believe it is a lie, it is undemocratic and I believe it is against the rule of law and democracy. “Democracy cannot be shortchanged on this mad opportunistic idea of some notables individuals wanting to be president, simply because by using that, they can now have the power and abuse it, which has been the trend in Nigeria from independence to date. Nothing has happened to make me believe in zoning or rotation.” Reminded that the idea was aimed at giving all sections of the country a sense of belonging, he retorted: “Has it done so from 1999 to date? You don’t look for history by playing gimmicks. Look at the records, has power shift brought any peace, any sense of responsibility, any sense of nationalism? It hasn’t! “So, when you try some useless experiment and it fails, you should be honest to admit that this has been tried and it has failed. Since 1999 to date, is the country any more united? Are the elites any more responsible?