For Unity, Fairness, NEG Reinstates Stance on Southern Presidency

*Urges APC to show loyalty, trust by zoning ticket to South

Sunday Okobi

The Nigeria Equity Group (NEG) has reinstated that for the sake of the Nigerian unity, political inclusion and fairness, the presidency should be zoned to Christian South.

The group said it considered it to be very inequitable, unfair and potentially dangerous for the presidency to remain in the North after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.

In a statement issued and made available to THISDAY yesterday, which was signed by its National Convener and National Secretary, Dr. Emeka Nwosu and Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak respectively, NEG said: “We wish to respond to the emergence of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 presidential election. We wish to draw attention to the fact that the Nigeria Equity Group has campaigned vigorously for equity, fairness and inclusion in our body polity.

“In our several interventions over the years, we have appealed to the major political parties to be mindful of the complex heterogeneous Nigerian society and to work out a political solution that will be fair, inclusive and equitable to all.”

It added that: “In this case, we believe that what is just and fair is for presidential powers to be zoned to the South, specifically to a southern Christian, after the eight-year rule of President Buhari, a northern Muslim. We consider it to be very inequitable, unfair and potentially dangerous for the presidency to remain in the North after President Buhari’s tenure.

“We wish to note that the various crises that have plagued the Nigerian society lately stem from the feeling of neglect, marginalisation and inequity. These cries of marginalisation seem to have some validations and have been amplified under the tenure of President Buhari who apparently has favored the North in key appointments and interventions.”

The group stated that for instance, all the leaders of the various arms of government are Northern Muslims, “starting from President Buhari himself; Ahmad Lawan, Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly, and Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, who is the Chief Justice of Nigeria. Key appointments in the military and paramilitary agencies are also skewed in favour of the north.

“This atmosphere has heightened the call for a more equitable distribution of political offices and appointments in a manner that reflects the complexity and diversity of the Nigerian state. We, at the NEG, have been at the vanguard of this campaign because of our love for Nigeria and understanding that it is in the country’s strategic and long term interest to put issues of equity and inclusion at the centre of our politics.”

It, therefore, totally condemn the decision of the PDP to elect a northern Muslim presidential candidate “at this point of our national life. This is a potentially dangerous decision that has serious implications for national unity and security. We strongly believe this decision does not bode well for our country and would lead to further crises and aggravate the growing fissures of the Nigerian society.

“We will therefore mobilise Nigerians of goodwill everywhere against this act of arbitrariness by the PDP. We note that one man’s ambition cannot be greater than the security and stability of our country.”

The group called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) to be deliberate about its search for a presidential candidate and to work towards a consensus around a southern Christian, “for the sake of the peace and long term good of our country. This would demonstrate that the APC has better understanding of the Nigerian society and is a party built on trust, goodwill, and diversity.

We assure the APC of total victory if they do this as we will mobilise Christians and Muslims, northerners and southerners, and all men and women of goodwill to back this ticket.

“Finally, we note that Nigeria is on the precipice and we should be careful not to push it down the cliff.”