Coalition seeks power shift to South in 2023
The Coalition for a Better Nigeria has faulted a statement by President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew, Mamman Daura, on power shift ahead of 2023 general elections.
Daura had last July 28, during an interview with The BBC Hausa Service, advised Nigerians to choose competence over zoning in picking their leaders.
He said the zoning formula had been adopted for over two decades in electing the President, but had failed.
President Buhari, from Daura’s Northern Region, is in his second four-year term which ends in 2023 and Southern political leaders expect it will be the turn of their region to produce the next President.
But, in a statement, the coalition claimed that Daura’s comments was in furtherance of continued Northern presidency at the expense of other regions.
It said: “Mallam Nasir El – Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, first laid the premise for this school of thought but we are glad at the increasing number of people of timbre and calibre from the North, like former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari; Senator representing Borno South and Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Ali Ndume and notable others including the repentant Governor of Kaduna State, Malam El – Rufai, have started thinking in the direction of popular philosophy – 2023 Rotational Presidency: The only way forward.
“How can a peace-loving Nigerian from anywhere be advocating for continued retention of power for another eight years at expense of the South after the North would have spent their unbroken 8 years in power by May 29, 2023.”
It urged Buhari to caution “this illustrious son of the North… because the impression he gave the public was that he was speaking the mind of Mr President based on his blood relationship
“Literally, he was telling the people of Southwest that they were stupid to deliver bloc votes to Mr President in 2015 and 2019 general elections.”
The statement also decried the killings in southern Kaduna despite the curfew imposed by the state government and urged El-Rufai to find “an urgent and lasting solution to the perennial massacre in the area.”
It also expressed worry over a recent “attack on Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, and general insecurity in the country. This calls for immediate rejigging of the security architecture by President Buhari.”
The statement further congratulated Mr Olumide Akpata, “on his resounding victory at the presidential election of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and wish him a successful tenure as he is getting set to pilot the affairs of the bench to the next level.”
The group added: “We rejoice with a renowned pharmacist, accomplished legal practitioner, exemplary philanthropist and the prince of Ado Ekiti, Founder of Juli Pharmacy Plc, Chairman, MTN Foundation and a former Minister of Health, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi at 80 years.”
By Robert Egbe
