Did the North Inherit Leadership?

As the build-up towards 2023 gradually begins with the various gladiators already taking their different positions, one issue that would define this contest is the bloc that would produce the next President. Already, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), through its spokesman Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has fired the first salvo by declaring that the north is unapologetic about its desire to retain power in 2023.

Baba-Ahmed who insisted that the next president should come from the North also declared that the presidency is its birthright and inheritance. Since democracy is a game of numbers, he stated that the region commands the voting strength to elect another Northerner to continue in 2023. he went ahead to stress that the North will not play second fiddle in 2023. Buba-Ahmed said heaven will not fall if power is retained in the North.

The NEF spokesman who made the remarks in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, at the maiden Maitama Sule Leadership Lecture organized by the student wing of the Coalition of Northern Groups said “We will lead Nigeria the way we have led Nigeria before. Whether we are President or Vice President, we will lead Nigeria.

“We have the majority of the votes and the democracy says vote whom you want. Why should we accept a second class position when we know we can buy forms and contest for first class and we will win? Why does anybody need to threaten us and intimidate us? We will get that power, but be humble because power comes from God. We inherited leadership, being honest is not being stupid,” Baba-Ahmed warned.

To begin with, in the last 22 years since the return to civil rule, the South has been in power for 14 years (ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo - South-west, 1999 - 2007) and (ex-President Goodluck Jonathan - South-south -2009 - 2015). While the north, on the other hand, has been in power for eight years so far (late President Umaru Yar’Adua - North-west - 2007 - 2009) and President Muhammadu Buhari also from the North-west took over in 2015 and has done about six years. By 2023 when the tenure of this administration runs to an end with Buhari completing his second of two terms making it eight years, the north would have done ten years in 24 years of the democratic cycle in Nigeria.

This leaves the north with a four-year vacuum. This vacuum is indeed the crux of the current disagreement and the almost door-die battle that is about to be drawn by the political gladiators as 2023 approaches. To put this in better perspective, this vacuum would not have existed had Yar’Adua not died shortly after taking office. In the confusion that ensued, while some northerners insisted that Johnathan must step down for a northerner to complete the tenure, the argument was however impeded by the 1999 Constitution. The Constitution favors the Vice President (then Goodluck Johnathan) to take over the reins of government when a President is incapacitated.

After months of high wire politics and horsetrading, the ‘doctrine of necessity was invoked by the National Assembly to pave way for Johnathan’s emergence as President. After serving out Yar’Adua’s term, Johnathan stirred the hornet’s nest when he again threw his hat into the ring to contest for another term. He got it but the north never forgave that act of ingratitude and it is the reason it is baying for blood as Buhari is set to exit.

Is the north right to lay claim to power retention under the circumstance? No. Going down memory lane, the north has never hidden its craving to perpetuate itself in power. In fact, it sees itself as born to rule and it is for this reason that it claims it inherited power, but from whom did the North inherit leadership? The question is begging for an answer and only people of the north who canvass this view can provide an answer. What Baba-Ahmed does not know is that, either deliberately or inadvertently, he has touched on a raw nerve that is already provoking far-reaching political consequences.

At independence in 1960, Alhaji Tafewa Balewa emerged as the Prime Minister under the parliamentary system of government, while Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was named President, power resided with Balewa, making Azikiwe a mere ceremonial head. After Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu’s coup of January 1966, a counter-coup by predominantly officers from the north seized power from General Aguiyi Ironsi from the south. General Yakubu Gowon took over till the civil war broke out in 1967.

The north was in power from 1966 till 1976 when General Murtala Mohammed was assassinated by yet another coup. Obasanjo who was his deputy took over and handed over power to another northerner, Alhaji Shehu Shagari in 1979. Shagari was overthrown also by a northerner, Buhari in 1983. After barely two years in the saddle, General Ibrahim Babangida overthrew Buhari and lead the country till 1993 when he was forced to step aside after annulling June 12, 1993 election believed to be won by Chief Moshood Abiola.

The Interim National Government headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan was punctuated by a northerner General Sani Abacha, who took over and ruled the country until his demise in June 1998 paving the way for yet another northerner, General Abdulsalami Abubakar who finally handed over to Obasanjo in 1999. Thus between 1960 to 1999, the north alone had been in power for 36 years leaving the south with less than three years on the saddle. Is this not injustice?

If there is any region that should lay claim to not playing second fiddle, it is the south and not the north because the north has had more than a fair share of leading this country. Reading the NEF’s spokesman’s speech, what other confirmation does the south needs other than this to confirm the level of contempt, disdain, and hatred some northerners hold against the south.

Right before independence, the north has always seen itself as a far more superior race than the people of the south. They have always perceived southerners as people who should be subjugated primarily because the south has been docile. And so you hear things like we inherited Nigeria and at another time, northerners pride themselves as people born to rule. To rule over who? Slaves or who exactly are they born to rule over?

This same crass arrogance manifests itself in body politics and virtually every facet of our national life. The North claims the British who amalgamated disparate ethnic nationalities into what is called Nigeria today handed it to them at independence. This is why, right from Independence in 1960, the north, represented by the Fulani hegemony has carried on unchallenged as owners of Nigeria.

So who has benefited from these long years of the north perpetuating itself in power? No other zone than the north. For instance, utilizing its federal might, the north suddenly emerges from the 12 states structure to command about 19 states leaving the south with just 17 states. It has in addition over 450 councils with the south having 324 councils.

The corollary of all this scramble is for resources. With 19 states in the north and over 450 local government councils, the north benefits over 56 percent of revenue from the federation account for the states and local government councils. How much does the north contribute to the federation account from which it takes the lion’s share? Almost nothing.

So in whose interest is Nigeria’s unity? Is it for the north or south? It is in the north’s interest for Nigeria to remain indivisible so it can continue to enjoy the spoils of office. If not, how can a region that browbeats others using its population and landmass to share revenue is unable to use these key factors of production for useful purposes and contribute its quota to the consolidation account?