Zoning Must Be Respected to Keep Nigeria One

TThe good thing is that Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, will complete eight years as President next year. Ordinarily, all the political parties should ensure that their presidential tickets are zoned to Southern Nigeria to ensure that power rotates to the South. Unfortunately, the two leading parties, the APC and PDP, evidently under pressure from political hawks, are hesitant to do this

hose arguing against rotational presidency are clearly dishonest and coldblooded people. I’m not sorry to say this. By their argument, you shall know them. There are so many around today. Another thought-provoking thing is that all of them profess either Islam or Christianity, forgetting that the two religions preach equity. So, adherents must promote fairness in all situations, including politics, but they have refused to do this.

In 2015 when they were trying to get Goodluck Jonathan out, rotational presidency was reasonable for equity. They argued that no section of the country should be allowed to dominate the office of the President. To keep Nigeria one, this position is sound. No doubt, the peculiarities of this country make rotation a necessity at all levels. Not only for the office of the President. I’m talking about political inclusion here. But some people, largely for personal gains, will not let it be.

But for the unfortunate death of Umar Yar’Adua, Nigeria would have continued smoothly with rotational presidency without the Jonathan break. It’s good to note that Nigeria is back on track. The good thing is that Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, will complete eight years as President next year. Ordinarily, all the political parties should ensure that their presidential tickets are zoned to Southern Nigeria to ensure that power rotates to the South. Unfortunately, the two leading parties, the APC and PDP, evidently under pressure from political hawks, are hesitant to do this. Few days back, The Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu dropped a bomb, saying the party is yet to decide where to zone its presidential ticket.

For the PDP, a committee set up to decide where to zone its presidential ticket, returned with a declaration that the ticket be thrown open to all. The hawks in the two parties have flooded our space with all sorts of duplicitous reasons to justify why rotational presidency should be jettisoned. They say it is unconstitutional. This is a big lie. These people are just being clever by half. They should stop being petty and think more about the unity of this lovely country. For me, I’m making a case for the sustenance of zoning and power shift on constitutional basis. Rotation is constitutional because it is backed by the Federal Character law entrenched in the 1999 Constitution.

It is pertinent to break down Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution, which makes spread in the distribution of offices at the federal level compulsory. This part of our constitution supports a spread in the composition of government in such a way that a particular state, ethnic group or tribe should not have dominance. It supports sharing of power, the office of the President inclusive.

Section 14 (3) states: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies.”

The key words here as it relates to rotational Presidency or power shift are: “The composition of the Government of the Federation shall reflect the federal character of Nigeria.” The Executive arm is part of the Government of the Federation. The President heads this Executive arm. So, after Buhari, a northerner cannot occupy the office of the President in 2023. This will be a breach of the Nigerian Constitution.

Is this not straightforward? It requires little mental effort. So, those saying power shift and rotation are unconstitutional should have a rethink. They need to go back and study our constitution dispassionately. This Section 14 (3) sets out to promote cohesion at the national level. It aims to carry everybody along in governance to ensure unity, equality and justice in the distribution of power and offices.

Some argue that rotational Presidency is undemocratic. This is also not true. Nominating candidates on the basis of rotation does not make it undemocratic. It is a political consensus.

Again, some persistently punch holes in rotational Presidency, saying it would deprive the country of quality candidates. Big lie! There is no part of this country that can’t supply quality human resources for the office of the

President of Nigeria. Nigeria is blessed.

The argument that the North should ignore the clamour for power shift to the South because it has the vote to determine outcomes of Presidential elections is not solid. These people are not good students of history. From history, it is clear that the North is not monolithic. The South is equally not monolithic. There is no way a presidential candidate of Northern origin will win all the 19 northern states.

With the way Nigeria is structured, and the 1999 Constitution being the guiding rule, neither the voters in the North, nor the ones in the South, can single-handedly determine who becomes President of this country. Buhari’s handshake with the South-west gave him victory in 2015 and 2019, thanks to Bola Tinubu.

The recent warning of the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to the ruling APC on rotational presidency is apt. He wants his party to swiftly zone the presidential ticket to the South.

Akeredolu declared: “The current democratic dispensation is anchored on the unwritten convention driven by a principle of equity. Political expediency dictates, more appealingly, that while adhering to the spirit and letters of the laws guiding conduct of elections and succession to political offices, we must do nothing which is capable of tilting the delicate balance against the established arrangement which guarantees peace and promotes trust.

“It is the turn of the Southern part of the country to produce the next President. The party leadership should have no difficulty in making pronouncements on this very important issue... This must be done without delay. It will be disingenuous for anyone to argue against rotation at this period.”

On its part, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) issued a stern warning to those trying to do away with rotational presidency: “The history of zoning between the north and the south is well-known to everybody in this country and has been respected by all the major political parties in Nigeria. If zoning is buried, Nigeria is then buried. And if they are thinking that this is a joke, let it be known that it is not. If we cannot abide by the established principle of rotation and zoning between the north and the south, then we should not continue with one Nigeria; we should go back to what we were as a people before the amalgamation of 1914.”

True lovers of this country must jealously protect and defend rotation at all political levels. It is our pride; the strength of our country, booster of our unity and the tonic sustaining our democracy. Power rotation is well-intentioned and aimed at giving every Nigerian a sense of belonging. Any northern politician that truly loves this country should not be talking about running for the office of the President in 2023. Arise all compatriots; let’s build a united, peaceful and just country with power rotation.

Nigeria is heterogeneous. This is a fact. So, the office of the President of Nigeria should rotate between the North and the South to promote unity and a sense of belonging. In the spirit of Federal Character and fair play, that office should be occupied by a southerner for another eight years, effective 2023. It is also a resolution influenced by the peculiarities of this country. All those that have sworn to protect our Constitution must support rotational Presidency.