Noah Ebije and Sola Ojo, Kaduna
It would amount to ingratitude and unfair for the North to hold onto power beyond 2023 at the expense of other geo political zones, Senator Shehu Sani has declared.
The eighth National Assembly lawmaker also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to prepare the North ahead of possible restructuring of the country.
Senator Sani stated this when he, in the company of journalists paid Sallah homage to the second Republic governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa.
“It will amount to ingratitude for the North to hold on to power beyond 2023 at the expense of the Southerners, particularly, the South-west, who did everything possible to support the northern candidate in 2015 to emerge as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It will amount to changing the rule at halftime when you have two goals to your advantage. It can also be likened to removing the ladder after you have plucked the fruit.
“The North should appreciate the support of the progressive minded nationalists from the Southwest or southern part of Nigeria who have worked tirelessly to removed the PDP out of power in 2015.
“We have not forgotten that, President Buhari has contested three times without becoming a president of Nigeria. But the fourth time, with the support of the people from the South, he emerged the President of this country. It is unfair, after eight years, for us to think of continuing to hold on the grip of power in Nigeria. It’s very unfair.
“In an ideal society, where ethnicity, religion and other interests play low role, we can think of that in the farthest future. But where these issues continue to be relevant in the political scheme of things in Nigeria, we can’t shy away from that very fact. What we need to put into perspective is the fact that it will be a serious threat to the future if one part of the country will want to dominate the political atmosphere of the nation because of its demographic or land size. It will not be good for the peace and stability this country has enjoyed. I am a socialist and I belief that the person who should preside over the affairs of the state should be the one who is competent.
“But, was it competency that brought the ruling party to power in 2015? Or, was it integrity? Has integrity not there since we have started contesting elections? I think we should be very frank to ourselves. It is also good for the President that he should ring it on individuals within his party, to caution them against causing that kind of discord while it is at infant stage now. If not, the polity is certainly, going to be overheated.
“After President Buhari, power needs to rotate to some of these major geo political zones. You cannot close the door after you have entered. Southwest has helped us to be where we are today.
“And you can’t talk of competency when you have not also produce Igbo president. I mean president of Nigeria from Igbo extraction. Are they not Nigerians? Should they continued to be punished eternally for the crime which they are not architect of? He querried.
On restructuring he said: “For the North, it is important for the president to set a clear policy and agenda within the next four years to address the socioeconomic and security problems facing the Northern part of the country.
“The president must invest in agriculture for us to be prepared for restructuring. We must in the North, invest in education for us to be prepared for a restructured Nigeria. We have to invest in infrastructure too to be prepared.
“It will be unfair after federal character has been employed in employment, admission and even the way political parties zone offices only to now think of new rules that will give you an exclusive advantage of dominating political atmosphere.”